It is often said, "In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." I am nowhere near ready for anything to end, but I feel like I am rocking the whole "things that matter" goal. I have loved intensely and have plenty of time and room to love more.
I learned how to let go a few years into my recovery; it wasn't particularly graceful in the beginning, but I got better at it and mostly master it these days. Today, one of my own personal growth goals is to bring more gentleness into my days and to be more tender toward myself, others, and the world.
I know that I still have a few edges that could use softening; being gentle doesn't always come easily. Fortunately for me, there's another saying that goes, "Everything will be okay in the end.
If it's not okay, it's not the end." Thanks for that one, John Lennon. I know that one day, when this all ends, I will have lived a life that matters.