Thursday, January 19, 2017

The Practice of Detachment

Detachment is, in my opinion, the art of loving everything and everyone but not caring about the who, what, when, where, why, or how. 

In my personal practice of detachment, I can describe it as being a LOT like being severely depressed (you know, at that point where you don't care about ANYTHING), but completely happy.  Blissfully so, even.

I have six children.  For most of their lives I've felt like they were mine, they belonged to me.  I started to realize that they were actually separate beings from me when I was forced to start giving them up (one due to divorce and two due to them moving out when they were grown) and none of us died.  Now I accept that, even though I'm important to them, I'm not vital to them.

So I've gotten to a point now that I'm choosing to rid myself of belongings that I don't need and am only hanging onto for sentimental reasons.  It's really been so freeing.  The fewer things I "own", the less scared I am of losing things.  The less scared I become, the more fulfilled and happy I am.  It's truly amazing.