Toxic Relationships and Letting Go of Your Boots

By Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.

I once heard a famous actor tell the story of how he let go of his relationship with a sibling, using the analogy of “having to part with too many boots.”

Essentially, his message revealed how his involvement with this person, more often than not, netted him a walk in a pile of sh** so foul that he had to part with his boots. And after parting with so many pairs of boots, he decided to let go.

His analogy so clearly resonated with me. In 50 years, I could not have said it with greater clarity.

A couple of years ago, I did the same letting go maneuver with my mother’s first born. However, the appearance of his signature lingers in the wake and it smells like the same pile of you know what, if you know what I mean.

Toxic Relationships

Some toxic relationships are toxic because of the harm they implicate you in; while others are toxic because of the direct hit intended to hurt you. And then there are those that are both.

The analogy used by the actor referred to in the opening of this article insight helped me clarify the toxicity in this relationship in meaningful ways.

The Foul Scent Lingers On