The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I heard a story about a woman walking across a high bridge, on her journey. She saw someone coming to her but could not make anything out or who it was. As this person got closer she saw that he had something tied around his waist but again could not make out what it was. Well as they got closer she saw that there was a rope, a very long rope. When they met this person said "Here, hold this rope". Puzzled she did as she was asked. "Now, whatever you do not let go" the man told her. He suddenly jumped off the bridge. Shocked, not knowing what to do, she braced herself and hang on. The rope sprang tight. Her hands hurt and her heart was beating fast. She yelled down to the man "What did you do that for?" The man yelled back "Never mind that, just hold on, whatever you do hold on". She looked for a place to tie off the rope but found none. The man yelled up to her "My life is in your hands, whatever you do you cannot let go or I will die for sure". Near panic her mind was racing like a red sports car. She took a deep breath to calm herself. This helped as she had an idea, she yelled down to the man. "I have an idea. I’ll hold on but I need you to pull yourself up, hand over hand. I can wait, and may be able to help you a bit, but you need to so the work." She felt good about this, she was helping him, and she could not let him die. "I cannot do that" the man yelled back "I need you to hold on, my life is in your hands, hold on, and whatever you have to hold on". Her arms were getting tired, for a bit she thought to herself "I will teach him, I’ll jump off the bridge, both of will die but I will know I did not let go". She thought of her kids, her house, and her dog and knew she could not do that and her heart was sad, what was she going to do? She tried and tried to get the man to help himself, she pulled with all her might to save him, she yelled for help from others but no one came. It had turned dark long ago and was very cold. Her heart was sinking, her arms were hurting. He kept on telling her to not give up, to hold on. She could do no more, she had all she could. "What am I going to do" she cried.
The sun was starting to rise, a beautiful sunrise; Light was filling the darkness, the rays of the sun were warming her arms, her face, her body and most important her soul. A great calmness and peace came over her as she let go of the rope and continued on her journey
__________________
Megan
If you want things you never had you need to do things you have never done
Your parable hits me right in the gut. So many times I've told myself I should have held onto my ex-husband, an A. So many times I wonder if I should just let go of my current husband, also an A. It's like the first one took too much of me away, and I've never had it to give to my second. Or maybe my detachment is a survival instinct. I don't know. It's hard to acknowledge my personal insanity. I guess that's the reason I keep coming back to this board and reading what others have to say.
The odd thing is that while reading the parable, I just kept thinking "don't let go" when I should have been thinking "let go." Tears actually came to my eyes when I read that the woman let go of the rope--I so didn't want her to let go--even though that is what she definitely needed to do. This just shows me how "insane" I must really be.
Anyway, thank you for sharing the parable. I'll be thinking and praying about it tonight.
