Carol A. Hand
You tried to take it all
but it was never enough
to fill the insatiable void
you carried deep within
Ultimately you taught me
a valuable lesson
*
*
Detachment –
the art of letting go of my ego’s needs –
for attention, relationships,
approval from others,
or holding on tightly
to anything I loved
*
Unencumbered I was free
to live my life as I pleased
The gifts I’ve given freely
bore the fruit of a worthwhile life
and helped my spirit grow
in ways you may never know
*
*
You say you’re proud of my accomplishments?
We’re family and I should listen to history revised?
Naw… I’m done with that.
Compassion, forgiveness, and wisdom don’t require one
to continue a charade based on illusions
as a partner in the dance of perpetual mutual rewounding
*
What I can give you out of kindness is distance and space
and my sincere wish that one day you will discover
and learn to celebrate your own accomplishments
*
Voices from the Margins 
I appreciate the kindness link and your reflection. Thanks Carol.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments, Bruce. Given the context, sharing the link felt important because it is so easy to forget that kindness sometimes means allowing others the space and dignity to find their own way without losing ours.
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Yes, the photos fill in some of the blanks of the story. You healed happily in that photo.
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Thank you for sharing your important perspective, Skywalker. Healing, as you know, is an ongoing journey that requires disciplined choices. ❤
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Beautiful Wisdom! 🙏🏻👏
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Thank you so much for your kind and lovely comments, Karen. ❤
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To see clearly the void that can never be filled, to step away and move toward that within us which wants to come into being, takes steadast courage. Thank you for this wise poem fashioned from the dark and light of your experience.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful, lovely comments, Joan. ❤
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The beauty of healing in these words and pictures. Freedom in detachment. 💕
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Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Carrie. ❤
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Wow! Just wow! Every line packs a powerful message of healing and self- empowerment! But my favorite, the one I want to put up on my mirror to see it every day is this:
“Compassion, forgiveness, and wisdom don’t require one
to continue a charade based on illusions”
Truth, Carol. Real. Authentic. True. Thank you!
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Ah, dear Lisa, I so appreciate your kind words. ❤
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Powerful reflections, Carol.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments, Rosaliene. This was not an easy piece to post but it felt important to share in these times when we often have to deal with people who appear to have little compassion for others.
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Detachment, properly understood and expressed here.
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Thank you, Sha’Tara.
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Very nice, sharp, and sincere.
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Thank you very much for your thoughtful words, Lander7.
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‘Letting go of the Ego needs’ is a right thing to do. We don’t want to slow other’s progress. We want them to grow their own wings.
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Such lovely and profound comments, Inese. Thank you so much for sharing a respectful way to describe the process and purpose for detaching from mutually unhealthy relationships. ❤
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Kindness and dignity, as you say. More than often, two normal people end up in a relationship that becomes unhealthy. The better you think of the other, the happier and more fulfilling life awaits you in the future 🙂
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