Walking through Rossio Square in central Lisbon (Portugal) several years ago, I noticed the sun playing off water spraying from a nearby fountain. The warmth of the sun was tempered by the cooling mist. A pleasant encounter on this hot and dry day.
I was struck by the Beauty of Balance: one element offsetting another; not trying to dominate; both coexisting in a radiant display of sunlight on sparklets of water.
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| Where is there balance in your life? (Photo: Rossio Square, Lisbon, Portugal) |
If you think about sun and rain, we need both... in a delicate balance. Too much sun without enough rain will create desert or drought conditions. Too much rain without enough sun can cause flooding, swamps, and mildew. When water and sunlight is Out-of-Balance, destruction can occur.
I wonder if being in balance or out-of-balance describes the ability to stay in relationship? What then can we say about the balance or imbalance in our lives?
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| What storms overwhelm you? (Photo: tropical storm over Panama City, Panama) |
Our divided world debates about climate change - whether it is happening or not. We differ about life and choice. COVID has opened new fissures about vaccinations and masks: what is the best way to achieve immunity from an external virus.
I wonder about the virus that compromises our relationships... when we cannot listen to differing opinions. It seems that we are no longer curious about understanding the facts of a situation. Rather, we seek to dominate or destroy what is in oppositions to our tightly-held beliefs and conclusions.
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| How can this new day be different? (Photo: sunrise over Pacific Ocean) |
For me, the beauty of balance is the desire to stay in relationship. We may not always agree... but can we keep talking? Can we replace judgment with curiosity:
- I wonder what you think about...
- I see it this way. How do you see it? What is your experience?
- Help me understand how you reached that conclusion.
We cannot ask these questions if we are not in relationship. We cannot notice a climate of change unless we are open to seeing the change in others... and ourselves.
Rain must give way to sun to create the balance that nature needs; sun must allow rain to feed the new growth that occurs when sun and rain work together; and rainbows -- covenants against destruction -- occur only when sun and rain appear together.
What relationships are important to you? How do you stay in balance with those you care about?
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| Larry Gardepie (click on link for website) |
