how do we know

How do we know
when the time has come to let go?
Hope and faith can carry us
all a long distance,
but just how far
can they carry us?
When does the time come
when it is no longer okay
to call just to say hello?
Or to call just to say
“I love you”?
When do we let
the past fade away?
When do we decide
that the ashes of our past
can never be rekindled?
How do we let go
of the experiences
and the people
that have helped mold us
into who we are today?
Is it giving up
or is it letting go?
How do we know?