Let it Be
Cheryl Strayed’s Journey to Self- Healing
She found herself on the edge of a cliff with one boot on her foot and the other falling off the side of a mountain. How did she get here? In Cheryl Strayed’s novel Wild, she decides to hike 1,000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail on a mission to find healing during a tumultuous period in her life. After the tragic death of her mother and a broken marriage, Strayed was lost. While in a store, a book on the Pacific Crest Trail caught her eye. She didn’t buy it then but later went to go back and purchase it after curiosity took over. Strayed decided she wanted to try and regain hold of her life and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail might be the answer. Everyone in her life laughed at her. They thought it was a stupid decision due to her inexperience. Despite criticism, she knew it was what she wanted to do. She too had doubts and would have them her the entire trip but she felt this journey needed to be done. Although hiking the Pacific Crest trail might not make her life perfect, she knew it could possibly bring some enlightenment.
She was really nervous before her journey ebcause she’d never hiked to this calibur. It was hard, just like she imagined. So much so that lots of her days were made up of doubts and being scared. There were truly wild moments. Such as her shoe falling off a cliff after she removed it because her toenails were falling off. But, the most important part of her story is the aftermath of the journey. One of the major things she got out of this trip was the idea of acceptance. Her whole life she’d been thrown these challenges and hardships and in order to move on she needed to accept. She felt at odds with her existence. Her mother had died at 45 of pancreatic cancer, she was preparing to divorce a man she believed she still loved, and she was recently struggling as a heroin user. Understanding that life comes with struggles for everyone and that many people find happiness despite this helped her find some sort of peace. A very important quote that sums up her journey well is found at the end of the novel.
“My life, like all lives, mysterious, irrevocable and sacred. So very close, so very present, so very belonging to me. How wild it was…to let it be.”
This quote displays the idea of acceptance and forgiveness is what makes it all possible. Holding onto things you have no control of will get you nowhere. She came across the realization that “letting it be” would allow her to start anew.
“God is not a granter of wishes. God is a ruthless bitch.”
Throughout the novel, Strayed has many moments of realization. She comes to terms with the chaos in her life but it takes a lot of work. One major challenge she faced was understanding her relationship with religion. God had always been a comfort for her, someone you pray to to make things better. But, soon this idea came crashing down around her. Sometimes, things won’t go your way even if you prayed endlessly, but that’s ok. Started realized that your belief in God can’t exist just when you need something or your life isn’t going your way. It goes along with the idea of “why do bad things happen to good people.” She had to remember that God’s plan won’t always make sense to you. Strayed found that even though she felt that a lot of things in her life had gone awry but in the end, God knew what he was doing even if she went through a lot of pain. This is a simple quote but I think it holds a lot of power and truth.
Not only was Strayed able to find her self religiously, but she was able to find and do the thing she was most passionate about, writing. Her journey allows her to immerse herself in her writing and create new, exciting content. Although some might argue that her writing doesn’t change the whole world, I think it’s been very impactful in a quiet way. Her writing does three major things. First, I feel that she shows people the importance of acceptance and forgiveness as mentioned earlier. Second, I feel the simplicity in her novel is inspiring. Despite the fact that she’s going on this exciting journey, nothing unbelievable really happens. Her journey is pretty successful. I think a lot of times we feel there has to be something super tragic or crazy for something like this to be published but it doesn’t. The clarity and simplicity of her writing is what makes it so wonderful. Third, I feel this story is very important for women. A lot of times, stories about women are told involving a man or money. Strayed’s story shows that women too are capable of heroic stories like this.
“I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.”
Strayed decided that she didn’t fall in the typical category that says women are weak or vulnerable. There were moments where giving up would’ve been much easier but she persisted. Before and during her journey she questioned why she even did it but her determination is what counted in the end. Strayed’s journey serves as a reminder of why letting go can do wonderful things. Her writings have been impactful for those who are struggling or just for anybody. The power of her story gives others strength and hope in the face of difficulty. Wild shows that sometimes healing isn’t easy but it can happen.
