v: worthy of keeping
v: needing to let go
Etymology: The origin of this symbol and spectrum
The “v” for value is also a relative newcomer to the Rose language, as I needed a way to express what was—and was not—important in my life. I confess, I am indeed a packrat; it is hard for me to let go of anything. The show “Hoarders” with its graphic descriptions of hoarding rising to a level of an illness, helps put my packratting tendencies in perspective—and helps me to see the value in letting go of possessions, situations, concepts, beliefs, people, etc. that no longer help me and that drain my energy.
At the same time, it is important to identify and hold on to what does contain value in my life.
Aylah, my friend and one of the first people to review and use the Rose language, also pointed out that we need to think about keeping and discarding more than mere objects.
- Concepts which no longer serve us need to be reexamined, and ones which serve us better need to be adopted. For example, I used to think that it was only by doing something that my life could have meaning. Now, as I am getting older, I am discarding that and valuing my being instead. (With an "e" outside of time ).
- People may also be something that may need to be examined: does this person add to my life, or is this relationship just sapping energy? This is not to be a tit-for-tat thing, but an overall examination. Sometimes people like to wallow in misery and sap energy--and nothing I do can help... Or worse, sometimes people like hurting you or abusing me. It is painful to let go of these people, but sometimes... I need to.
Orthography: How to remember these symbols
The “v” for value, for holding tight, holds the valuable object close to the center of the line as a circle. This centers the possession, the friend, the concept, etc. as something to treasure.
The “v” for discards, for letting go, makes an crossing out in the middle of the line as an escape route, as letting something out of the line.
Philosophy: How I use these symbols to embrace life
I now live in a tiny house—sort of like a gastric band on possessions. As I only have 320 square feet to work with, I have to decide if something is worth the room, worth entering my life. So, if it is, I put my line down as myself, as who I am, and then enfold that thing of value into the circle at the center of my being—a “v” of value. If it is not, then I carve the crossed lines to form a “v” of discards and let the thing escape my life—or not enter it at all.
Giving up something or letting something out of your life--even recognizing it as something to discard is fraught with danger and complexity. Sometimes, it is not easy to give up that child's scrawl on a paper, that friend from grade school, that cherished belief. When this is so hard and complicated, I make the crossing out with many many lines, like the "x" to show how complex this is to do.