The ring was still in my drawer, divorce long final, years of grieving and letting go under my belt. So WHY was I dreaming that I was again (still?) with the man who has not been my husband for 12 years?
I had just returned from an amazing trip to Guatemala. I’d been home for about 5 days and was crankier than all get out. Or another way of saying, I was really triggered. We had stayed along the exquisitely beautiful lake Atitlan (considered a power vortex along with the pyramids). The tour group was congenial and sweet, and I was sharing this adventure with a man I’m newly in love with. What’s not to rejoice about?!? And I did the whole time I was in Guatemala.
In a way, I wanted to blame the feelings on Guatemala. There is another side to Guatemala that wrenched our hearts. Behind the kindness and beauty are horrific stories of The War (more in future blogs) nature’s devastation, the loss of culture by the conquest of the country. The people’s losses are so palpable. Yet, I know better. I know that it is certainly easy to carry the energy of Other home.
I also know that the pain of Other is most often felt when our own pain has been triggered.
I do not want to minimize how I was viscerally and emotionally impacted by the sorrow of Guatemala and, of course, some of that lay heavy in my heart upon returning. Yet to be so triggered for a week upon returning was a sign for me to look at what had personally been awakened in me during my travels.
So I did what I’ve learned to do. Wait.
I waited till the trigger was strong enough to grab my subconscious attention and materialize into my dreams. And that is when I woke up and wondered after all these years and all this work, what was I still hanging onto? Why was I dreaming about someone I haven’t even seen in years?
I realized that a small 20 something year old part of me had made a vow. And she believes in vows. Till death do us part. I often said to myself that the death of the marriage counted as the death of us. But apparently an innocent and sincere younger version of me didn’t agree. This same part of me is witnessing a new kind of love, one based on maturity and keeping communication fresh and clear. Being seen and seeing someone and being so adored despite our flaws activated a deep feeling of loss for not having experienced that during my 25-year marriage.
Through a writing process, I asked my 20 something what she needed. The answer came, “Sell the ring.” The gold wedding band that I had intended to sell years ago when the gold prices were still at an all-time low, got put back in the drawer until the prices rose again. Then forgotten.
One week after I returned from one of the most amazing trips of my life, I did a ceremony. I laid flowers on an altar, lit a candle, and placed a photo of a happy day a few decades ago with a man I had made a vow to and loved. The ring was placed front and center. I spoke out loud saying thanks to all that was sweet and good then. Then I released both of us from our vow made in November of 1980! The next day I drove all over Santa Rosa to jewelry stores and pawn shops and sold that sweet delicate gold band. When I left the shop, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted.
Today, I make a new set of vows: to keep myself healthy, to live life to the fullest, to love as much as I can, find joy in the little moments of life and share as much as I can about how to release blocks to joy.
You don’t need to do a ceremony to release (although it really helps a lot). But at least consider this:
What vow do you still have that you want to release?
What vow(s) would you like to make instead?
Sally,
I liked your story and I appreciate the courage it took to share it with us. I am assuming your current boyfriend would be included. I believe that we do not have a choice who we fall in love with. It is preordained in a way. Old souls find other old souls that were connected in the past and the connection pics up again. You could know that a person is totally not right for you and it could never work out but yet, that is the person you love and want. I also believe that there is more than one person out there that would be a perfect fit and the older your soul the greater number of people are out there for you. You just have to meet them. I told you before that I only need see a picture in many cases. Getting rid of the ring symbolizes letting the relationship go but it can not ever totally extinguish your connection with your X, nor will it ever stop you from reflecting back on the way things were.The only thing that can do that is another soul that you reconnect with.
Dear Thomas,
Thanks for your words of wisdom. I agree that letting go of the ring doesn’t extinguish my connection. I didn’t want to do that. What I wanted to do was let go of the way I held it. And to let go of the cords I had toward him if for any reason that flow of energy were to inhibit his current happiness.
And I totally agree that there are many ONES, especially for us older souls. Thankfully. Maybe some blog down the road I will share this more publicly: I met my current boyfriend online. When I first set eyes on him, I had the oddest thought that it didn’t “look like him,” although he looked just like his photograph. Many dates later when our connection became apparent, I realized that he didn’t look like how I remembered from some long ago time/place or how I perceive his soul (however all that really works). Love finds us even if it has to kick some of us in the butts.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate it.
In Joy,
Sally
After filing papers for my divorce, I felt the world was splitting and that I had made a big mistake. Looking back now, I don’t think I would have been able to grow and love myself the way I do now. Seven months later, on February 2014, I gave myself a vacation to Hawaii went to a jewelry store and got myself a ring. I then went for a run and invited myself to cherish myself, to fall in love with myself with my imperfections and virtues. I guess that was my vow.
Although, I still have my wedding ring, for me it represents all those years I had with the man I thought I was going to be with forever. I thought I would want to get rid of the ring, but I think if I did I would be erasing those years of my life.
Thanks for sharing and for reminding me about my experience with my wedding ring. But most importantly that no matter what?! I have myself
Dear Susan,
What a beautiful testimonial and ceremony you did for vowing (yes, I would call it that!) to love and cherish yourself. We’ve heard that we can’t truly love someone else unless we love ourselves. But sadly, many like you and I leave marriages to learn that lesson. Bravo for your courage to move on and to love YOU!
As for that ring. It is a symbol. So if, for you, it symbolizes a time when you were happy and to let go of it means erasing those memories then maybe you could do something else with it. Like add it to an art piece or hang it discretely on a house plant. No point in keeping it locked away if you’re going to keep it. Might as well enjoy it in a different form.
Thanks for writing.
In Joy,
Sally
GREAT IDEA on making it more than what it is at the moment. I’ll try it.