Why do I let go?

When I thought of this blog title years ago, it seemed perfectly appropriate, as I was learning about the release of a bunch of things. It's been a great theme at every point in my development as a parent. It applies to physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional concepts.

Recently, on a long drive home from work, I realized that part of my letting go is aimed at making room. I can't keep it ALL. I have to let things go if I am to participate in the flow of life. Simple enough.

But looking back at my patchwork life, I noticed an umbrella theme that has woven into almost everything I've done or wanted to do since I was little:

Engaged connection.

What has kept me interested, creative, willing, in relationships, at jobs, obsessed, and more, is the desire to connect. I'm an ambivert (intro- and -extro). I love reading and writing. I love sharing, stories, laughter, knowing glances. All of that is really fuel for my life.

And I let go, so that I can remain in the flow of all of that. Letting go allows me to share (and release it into the world). Letting go allows me to reflect on it and then move it to the background of my life. Letting go allows for movement, expansion, and flexible re-defining as needed.

I don't want to consume connection, and I want to integrate it. When I allow my empathetic tendencies to reach out, hold someone momentarily, and then let go, I am only letting go of the moment, *not* the way if affects me. That then becomes a part of me and the container (of me) increases so that the next person I encounter with a similar experience can then connect, through me, to someone else with a similar experience. I am a bridge, a channel, a conduit.

I let go to play, participate, reflect, and connect. Why do you let go?

C'mon Mama, let's go!

I have been bursting with this post for several days and now I need to sit down and let it all out.
I want to write some disclaimers, and excuse my behavior, and allow you to set me/the post aside and call me crazy...that's my normal move. If I get too intense, I want to allow you to walk away and assure you I won't be hurt.

But in this post, I am going to say my piece. I am tired of sitting back, in my motherhood, in my parenthood, and just quietly, to a few people sharing my ideas about what's propagating in the society about motherhood and parenthood.

Most recently, I read an article that got me pretty hot. I have been a working mom for most of my child's life. He's been in school since he was 19 months. He goes all day.
I work from 6:30a until about 4:30p. My husband also works full time. He works on weekends, too. We share chores, we have busy lives (we have several spiritual groups, civic groups, family groups, and friend groups, not to mention family swim time, soccer, school parent groups, and our own home chores and a business we run out of our home), and we take time to enjoy our marriage.

My parenting doesn't take precedence OVER the rest of my life. It's a part of my life. I think I am a great parent. I enjoy it, I like the challenges, I like the triumphs, I love the growth. My child, as lovely as he is, is not the only thing I wake up for each day. He is not the axis upon which my world spins.

Call me whatever you like, but I am tired of slinking away when I hear sacrificing moms talk about how their kids are paramount. My kid isn't paramount. I don't share like this usually because, well, because I get silently judged (yes, I can see and hear you...) and questioned and I simply have to be honest about it. My kid is awesome. But if he took precedence over me for any substantial length of time, I would fall apart. I have been conscious of the balance of what I get and what he gets. I'm not telling him he doesn't get to have the world...I'm just saying, I'm not the only one he needs to ask.