JANUARY 2020

Did you hear about Good Riddance Day? Probably not unless you happen to live in New York City on December 28, 2009. It was Good Riddance Day in Times Square. Organizers encouraged people to write their grievances down and then throw the lists into shredders symbolizing the act of letting go of painful memories, bad experiences, foolish mistakes, bad relationships, dumb choices, and long-held grudges that had been gunking up their insides. Participants could use a sledgehammer in case the shredder didn’t provide enough emotional release.

There is something almost irresistible about the idea of “out with the old, in with the new.” Sometimes we need to say “good riddance” to the pain and hurt of the past. To do that we’re going to have to find the courage to let go of our anger, say farewell to our bitterness, and cast off our malice toward those who have hurt us deeply. We must learn to forgive. Until we do that we can never go forward. As long as we live in the past, we will be chained to the past, and the people who have hurt us deeply win a double victory-once when they hurt us the first time and twice when we refuse to let go and move on. ”We all struggle with broken relationships, loved ones we’ve lost, people who have hurt us, painful words, deceitful actions, friends who turn against us, and unkind words said about us or our loved ones.

Today’s the chance to say Good Riddance to something... and I’m making quite a list!!!