Can You Let Go?

Last week we discussed how to know when you are experiencing real love in your relationship.  If you have committed yourself to a relationship without giving it a great deal of consideration, you may have missed some important signs that could have signaled future problems.  Once you are in a relationship, and your dreams of an ideal marriage or long term relationship do not work out the way you expect, what do you do?  Can you let go?

Often there are a lot of good things about a relationship that we don’t want to give up.  Even in relationships that are difficult and sometimes intolerable, there are some things that make it comfortable.  Time has built up some loyalty toward the relationship that we are not ready to dissolve.   This comfort level sometimes causes us to question our motives, our direction and maybe even our sanity. 

Unfortunately, not all marriages or relationships will survive.  That decision is strictly yours.  It is up to you to determine if this relationship is worth saving.  

It can be very frightening and intimidating to consider letting go of a relationship even if it is toxic or destructive.  It is almost as painful as the death of a loved one, because that’s what really is happening.  The relationship has died!  Now you must go through the grieving process over this loss in order to move on with your life.

Allow yourself to grieve, but do whatever is necessary to get on with your life.  Your relationship may have died, but you still have the rest of life to look forward to, and that is exciting! 

- Joe Freeman