Don’t

What is this plant? A succulent of some sort that I’ve never seen before today. It is most definitely #succulentsofinstagram worthy though its not likely to go viral anytime soon.

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Its symmetry attracted me. Then the geometric white markings on the underside of each . . . petal, frond, stem, leaf. I don’t know what to call it but I like it for some reason.

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The longer I stared the more it I realized that this was a representation of the flipside of my post from yesterday. What filled my heart, soul, and mind yesterday was the importance of letting go. And the other side of that coin, same coin mind you, is an equally important principle of NOT letting go of the important things. There is no intended confusion or waffling here, just presenting another perspective and different meaning that also speaks from the concept of “letting go.”

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Try this: Don’t. Don’t let go of the valuable in your life. Don’t “Marie Kondo” your way into an isolated existence because you hastily decided to declutter some relationships that no longer brought you joy. Like the structure of this plant, the core of it holds on to all the individual members for a reason. Each one participates in the photosynthesis needed to keep this community-based operation thriving. Each one retains water in its cells that aids the entire citizenry in hydration. The core holds on to them all. Until the day that always comes when the lower, outer leaves have lived and contributed to their fullest and then there is a conjugal agreement between core and affiliate that the time has naturally come.

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I hear the haunting chorus from that song by The Fray “Never say Never” repeating the same phrase over and over again, “don’t let me go, don’t let me go, don’t let me go-oooooo.” Connection is in our DNA and unbeknownst to our brain cells sometimes the rest of our cells cry out for belonging and attachment. The flip side of the coin is always worth a good long look.