Making Space for the Journey
February 21, 2026
Gathering
This month, 15 of us met to have a wonderful conversation all about letting go and making space for life’s journeys. While the majority of us hailed from the North River Mills metro area, we had folks joining from as far away as Gays Mills, Wisconsin, and Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Opening Reflections
We kicked things off with a centering breathing activity, followed by a relevant poem from Mary Oliver called In Blackwater Woods, in which she teaches us that “to live in this world,” we must “when the time comes… let it go.”
We also explored the major themes of The Philosopher and the Handyman, a Cautionary Tales podcast episode that explores maintenance through the story of two competitive sailors.
Themes and Discussion
Our conversation leapt to an energetic start when a participant shared stories about his constant battle with getting rid of stuff and eliminating clutter. Many in attendance agreed that we had a tendency to spend too much time collecting and not enough time enjoying, maintaining, or getting rid of things once we experienced the rush of the initial purchase. This opened to the idea that we can be crippled by choice. Limitations, we agreed, can help the creative process, and that sometimes simply refusing to buy a proposed solution to a problem leads us to better solutions of our own.
We then explored grief through the lens of letting go. We talked about how hard it can be to lose a loved one and shared stories about how that process unfolds. We also talked about how traditions sometimes die out and how that can be hard for communities to face. We agreed that some elements of tradition were best let go, and that sometimes, when we stop trying so hard to keep them going, they surprise us and come back in new ways in younger generations.
Sweet Milk and Peaches shared how the tour that brought them to our area was, in itself, an act of giving up. They mentioned that temporarily letting go of the responsibilities of overseeing their farm back home and letting someone else help out with their kids while they are gone was a real challenge. Members commented that giving up control and delegating work, while often necessary, can prove truly challenging.
Trying to let go of distractions was another angle we entertained. We agreed that so many things pull us in so many directions and that it is becoming evermore difficult to stay focused on the things that truly matter. This evolved into a conversation about the distractions of modern technologies, cellphones, the internet, social media, etc. While we laughed and agreed when a participant offered that this likely goes back to “Prometheus and fire,” we eventually came away convinced that the immediacy required of us and the feigned urgency of all forms of communication in this constantly connected iteration of society was new and problematic.
In closing, we decided “you just never know,” what we think we want often turns out to be merely a distraction, and the discoveries that lead us to true fulfillment often come through accidental circumstances or the observations of other people in our lives. We were left to contemplate the lovely Italian phrase “Il dolce far niente,” or “the sweetness of doing nothing.”
Creative Practice
Sweet Milk and Peaches (Liz Voz and Jesse Downs) concluded the evening with an amazing hour of original songs and tunes. As you’ll see, a lot of the subject matter in Voz’s songs explores grief, growing pains, and the power of letting go. You can hear an excerpt from the evening below. They are also interviewed in this podcast series:
https://www.facebook.com/events/footjoy-farm-and-brewing/sweet-milk-peaches/2005701763231867/
Looking Ahead
Join us on March 21st at North River Mills United Methodist Church, where we will focus on the theme: redemption. Check back as we are also looking to expand this project beyond North River Mills in the near future.