The Hide in the River
A tanner put a foul-smelling and heavy animal hide into the waters of a raging river to clean it. The strong current of the river caught the hide and began dragging it rapidly. The tanner ran behind the hide but could not catch it back against the strong current. Giving up and stopping, the tanner said "Let it go; the river took you from me, but at least I am rid of your foul smell and weight."
The loss of bad habits and harmful relationships that burden a person and complicate life, even if giving grief at first, is actually a great relief. Getting rid of weights pulling you down enables a new and clean start. Necessarily losing harmful burdens is sometimes the greatest gift given. Getting rid of the bad is not a loss, but a gain.
Ripping off bad habits and filth, even if by force, gives relief. Getting rid of a harmful burden is relief. Give up the burden pulling you down. Let the foul-smelling past flow into the river.
Loss of the bad is a great gain. A new start happens with cleanliness. Severing harmful ties is freedom.