The holding of a hand.

The hearing of a story.

The healing of a heart.

The beginning of a new

adventure toward no longer

allowing past pain

to control present and

future possibilities.

Holding the past,

or being held by it,

can offer a variety of

competent excuses.

Holding the past,

or being held by it,

can limit vision,

luring decisions toward

unnecessary limitations.

Holding the past,

or being held by it,

can control us.

But facing realities,

though deep and dark,

though bloody and sad,

gives us a chance

to change things,

to change how we

view things,

and to, then,

be changed ourselves.

Rather than holding on to

what holds us back,

let’s face the regrets

with the grace of release.

Instead of reliving

day by day by day by day,

let’s say today

the time is now

for the past chapter to end.

All future chapters can,

and will, be affected by

the previous tension,

but the plot must not be

depending on those stories

to guide it.

It must now

venture into new land,

new hands,

new hope for new days

as reality grins back

at the scarred and scared

face that somehow now

joins in the smile.