Friday, February 17, 2012

The Tug-of-War


"It's mine!" the Child said, tugging and pulling on the Cherished Object. "It's mine and you can't have it."

In the Child's eyes, the Cherished Object was beautiful -- smooth and shiny without any flaws. Thin strings on her wrist connected her to the Cherished Object. They would have been easy to break but she had no desire to do so. She knew that, although she loved it, she somehow needed it too.

And the Voice said, "You may have it until you have had it long enough and are ready to leave it behind. I love you and I'm willing to take it, but first you must let it go. I won't fight you for it."

So the Child took the Cherished Object away, fully satisfied that she had won what she so desperately and rightfully wanted.


"It's mine!" the Child said. "It's mine and you can't have it!"

And the Voice said, " You may have it until you have had it long enough and are ready to leave it behind. I love you and I'm willing to take it, but first you must let it go. I won't fight you for it."

She looked at her Cherished Object. She had it for a while and, although it was somewhat tarnished and bent, she still wanted it. She loved it so much that she felt lonely and scared without it.

The Others said, "You don't really need it, and you probably don't even love it as much as you think you do. Why don't you find a different one -- one that serves you better?"

The thin strings grew thicker and stronger, but still breakable. Still she had no desire to do so. And the Child wouldn't listen.


"It's mine!" the Child said. "It's mine and you can't have it!"

She looked at her Cherished Object. It was worn with age and broken in several places. The sharp edges cut her fingers and hands until they bled. But the more the Child thought about life without the Cherished Object, the more tightly she clung to it. The thin rope had evolved into thick iron shackles that bruised her wrists.

The Others said, "Look how it hurts you and makes you bleed when you cling to it so tightly. Surely you don't want it anymore."

The Child listened but could not hear; Fear and Abandonment wrapped their cloaks around her. They covered her eyes so she could not see the broken places, her ears so she could not hear the warnings, and her heart so she could not feel the pain.

And the Voice said, " You may have it until you have had it long enough and are ready to leave it behind. I love you and I'm willing to take it, but first you must let it go. I won't fight you for it."


"It's mine," said the Child, unsure of herself, but stubborn. This time, in attempting to convince the Voice and the Others, she also tried to convince herself.

The Child looked at the Object. It had changed into an unrecognizable, putrid mess. It was dangerous for her...it had the power to kill. Maybe not all at once, but certainly bits and pieces of her in a long, tortuous, painful process. The Others gathered around her in a circle of Love and removed the cloak of Fear and Abandonment. The Child could see the broken places, hear the warnings, and feel the pain.

And the Voice said,  "My Child, I have loved you enough to let you have your way, even though it caused you pain. If you will let me, I will free you from this burden and soothe your pain. You are my Precious Child and I want the best for you. But I cannot place my gifts in your hands until they are open and empty, ready and willing to receive."

The Child said meekly, "Yes, I am ready."

As she uttered the words, the shackles fell from her wrists. She looked at the Cherished Object with sadness and relief, dropped it, and walked away.



This is a fable I wrote when I was having a difficult time with surrendering something I did NOT want to let go of. Do you find surrender a challenge? Have you had something you knew was bad for you, but wanted it anyway?  Have you been there?

2 comments:

  1. Towards the end I was reading with tears in my eyes. Such a familiar pattern in my life. A very moving peice of writing

    ReplyDelete

Yes! I've been there, Claire!