The art of letting go

When you think about the hardest part of a breakup, what comes to mind? Is it initiating the breakup itself? Is it knowing the fact that you’ll be alone? Or maybe it's the dreadful thought that now you might have to start all over again with someone new. I mean, c’mon, who wants to tell a whole new different person what your favorite color is and why you have that one scar that’s only noticeable if you look up close because it’s almost completely faded? The answer may differ from person to person. If you were to ask me, though, it’s letting go. Letting a person go who you've let into your world, who knows all your secrets, who you share inside jokes with, who’s met your family and friends, and who knows you inside and out is one of the most earth-shattering things someone can do. Especially if they were someone you just seemed to “click” with and who truly saw you.  How am I supposed to act like this person never existed? How am I supposed to act like this person, who once meant the world to me, isn’t important to me anymore? The truth is... You don’t. That’s not what letting go is, that’s putting up a facade to hide your true feelings. Many people have the notion that letting go means slamming the door on what you had and walking away, similar to a construction site that’s been abandoned, right before it reached its full potential, left to collect dust.  Letting go isn’t about being cold or pretending they meant nothing to you. It’s understanding and acknowledging that yes, they were important to you. Those memories that you once shared with them don't cease to exist. They happened, and acting as if that no longer has any meaning or value would be a disservice to not only the connection you had with them, but to yourself. Letting go is simply a quiet, bittersweet gesture of laying what you had to rest. It’s the mutual understanding between two people that love on its own isn't enough to hold you together anymore, and sometimes, the kindest thing left to do is to walk away. It’s the final act you share as a unit, a final moment where you're both aligned for the last time.  How beautiful it is, that two hearts that once fell in love with each other, are now choosing to walk away together.