Growing Up Means Letting Go

Fr. Joel Jason shared the following video in the second session of the Theology of the Body course he is giving:

I couldn't help but smile -- and feel sorry for Ava -- when I first watched this. The poor girl had to learn the art of letting go at such a young age! Fr. Joel used the video to illustrate how painful it often is to let go of our desires -- our pacifiers, so to speak.

Come to think of it, everyone has some sort of pacifier. To some, it may be smoking, drinking, drugs, shopping, binge eating, or excessive dieting. To still others, it may be junk food, computer games, or credit cards. To still others, it may be a false hope or a grudge. Our pacifiers may even be essentially good, like a relationship, a hobby, a sport, a job, or even some volunteer work. But when they begin to stand in the way of God instead of being the way to God, then it is time to let go.

Ava's daddy knew it was time for his daughter to let go of her pacifier: she is old enough and doesn't need it anymore. He knew it was the right thing to do. So despite Ava's copious tears and obvious anguish, her father tied the pacifier to a balloon and sent it up to pacifier heaven. Unfortunately, saying goodbye to our own pacifiers is far more difficult to do -- and often so much more heartbreaking. But like Ava is bound to realize one day, learning to say goodbye is essential to moving forward. Letting go is part of growing up.