Sometimes, life is like riding a ferris wheel isn’t it?
From the moment you get on the carriage, the anticipation builds up its momentum and your palms start getting damp. You look up and see the dangling legs from the other carriages and think, you’ll be at that spot soon enough. You wonder how many rounds you get but wave the thought away – it doesn’t matter, your turn’s about to start.
As the carriage starts moving upward, you feel your heart soaring up in the sky and for a brief moment, you feel invincible. For those few minutes, all your worries fade away and all you can think about is how happy you are feeling. You look down at the world bustling below you and it’s as though time just stood still. The higher you go, the more exhilarating it becomes while at the same time, at the back of your mind, you subconsciously realize, the harder the fall.
When you reach the peak, all you can think of is, “I wish this moment will stay forever”. But it never does. After all, everyone knows that what goes up must come down.
And so, your carriage is now replaced by another at the top. As it goes lower, you can feel your heart sinking with it. Then you go through the cycle all over again. This goes on a couple of times until you realise your time must be up soon. And that’s when the palm sweating begins again.
Each time your carriage goes closer to the ground, your beating heart becomes deafening, not wanting it to end. You dread having to face reality once again. Your mind goes on a frenzy – “is it the end already? But I haven’t fully enjoyed it. I was too busy. I was too distracted. Will they let me get on again? But look at all those people lining up! It’ll take me forever to get back on – I may never get the chance to do this again”. Then you realise you have bypassed the exit door. The relief is overwhelming. You realize your time isn’t up yet – you get another chance. You try to do everything better this time, you don’t want to make the same mistake as the last time.
Eventually, your carriage is the one that opens and you know it’s time to leave.
I guess the ultimate feeling at the end of the ride is to feel as though you have accomplished what you had set out for. You are ready to leave the carriage and leave no regrets behind.
For some people, unfortunately, the end arrives far too early. For many others, it is the fear of letting go.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you have tried, you realize there is only so much you can do alone. By that point, letting go is the best gift you can give to anyone, especially yourself.
“Letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be.” – Anonymous
