The Things They Carried

“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.”
- Tim O’Brien

I read "The Things They Carried" back in my college days when we were doing a unit on short stories. It had a profound effect on me--not just because Tim O'Brien is an incredible writer, but because I resonated with the message of his words down to the core.

I think we've all felt the weight of the world pressing down on us at one time or another in our lives. The further along on this healing ascension journey I travel, the more I'm able to recognize what I've carried in my own "backpack" over my lifetime and how lighter life feels now that I've shifted what I choose to carry...

The world is carrying too much in its backpack these days. It's rife with chaos and conflict, filled with burden and broken ideals. We pile on the division, the lack, the blame. We cling to the fear.

But let me ask you this:

Has fear ever changed things for the better?

Has anger? Hatred? Ignorance?

Oh, but kindness, compassion, forgiveness…

These components of love have the power to change the world.

So what happens when we begin to let those other things go?

What happens when we gather up mercy and grace and shed the weight of judgement and righteousness?

What happens when we embrace that which unifies and release all that separates?

What happens when we hold onto love and dispel fear?

We have a choice for that which we want to carry in this lifetime...

How heavy are you making your bag?

(This essay was originally published August 12, 2021 by Susan Dawn)