{"id":5035,"date":"2022-12-12T18:20:45","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T00:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/?p=5035"},"modified":"2022-12-12T18:22:06","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T00:22:06","slug":"broken-bowl-let-it-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/broken-bowl-let-it-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Broken Bowl? Let it Go."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Broken bowl? Let it go. I feel\nbad when I break things. Today, I broke a milk glass antique mixing bowl. It\u2019s\nnot the only mixing bowl I own. I should throw it in the trash without a second\nthought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But I can\u2019t – not because it was\nalmost as wide at the bottom as the top and pleasant to use, and not exactly\nbecause of the many many apricot cakes I mixed in it when I was small. My\nassociation of this bowl with a kitchen long-ago turned into a music room is\nrelated to larger memories that took place in that kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often make memories in the\nkitchen. Some are good, all covered in sauce, syrup, and dusted with sugar.\nOthers produce broken glass as a by-product. Good or bad, some events must be\nprocessed before we can let them go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memories and their emotional\naftermath can take time to work through. Sometimes the process moves slowly. Obviously,\nit makes no sense to hold onto a broken bowl for weeks, months, or years. And\nyet it can be tempting to clutter our homes with things that no longer serve a purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Items that evoke strong memories<\/a> may be the hardest to part with. But keeping misshapen, broken, crumbled stuff around can make it harder to let go of the attached emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you make it easier to\npart with things?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the pressure off. <\/em>If\nyou try to muscle yourself into compliance, you may feel overwhelmed and cling\neven harder. Try placing objects in an appointed place out of sight and leave them\nfor a few weeks or months. You don\u2019t have to decide right this minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I use a space in the back of a\ncloset to hold items that are difficult to part with. After a few months, I\npull them out and decide whether to throw away, donate, or keep. I\u2019ve been\ndoing this for years and I can only think of two times that I kept something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a photo. <\/em>I\u2019ve found I\ndon\u2019t always need to hold onto the actual item. What I\u2019m looking for is the\nfeeling I feel when I see it. A photo can generate the same feeling. When it\u2019s\ntime to part with a special possession, I snap a photo and put it in a folder labeled\nMemories on my computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take your time.<\/em> This year,\nI decided to get rid of one thing per day. At the end of the year, I will have\ngotten rid of at least 365 things. Some days I cover all seven things for a week.\nOther days, I simply remove a vase or blouse or pair of earrings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take it to someone else.<\/em> If\nyou have a friend or family member who collects Niloak pottery or Culver\nglassware and you have some you don\u2019t need, gift it. I\u2019ve been served drinks at\nparties in glasses I previously owned. It always makes me feel good that they\u2019re\nbeing used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a moment.<\/em> When it\ncomes to something broken beyond repair, it makes sense to remove it promptly.\nWhile you may not be able to fully process the attached feelings, taking a\nmoment before giving it a toss is a way to honor your need to continue the\nprocess. Doing so can help you take the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I\u2019m going to throw away the\nbowl I broke this morning. And I\u2019m going to think of it as a symbol of the broken\nmemories from that kitchen. Then I\u2019m going to let it go and walk away from the\ntrash bin with a smile! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some things I\u2019m better\noff without!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Coulda, Woulda, and Should Have!<\/a><\/blockquote>