Read the excerpt from "Keep Things Stirring." I know that it is hard for one who has held the reins for so long to give up—it cuts like a knife. It will feel all the better when it closes up again.

“Held the reins for so long” means having control or power for a long time. Giving that power up “cuts like a knife,” but the wound will “close up again,” suggesting the pain will heal with time. Choice D best captures both the difficulty of giving up long-held power and the idea that the pain will eventually pass.

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