Material reinforcement

Support by objects is something we perceive in different ways, but is something that we all need, and use, at some times and in some situations. For some people it is easier to use some sort of material reinforcement, such as a walking stick or a wall to keep themselves upright rather than having someone offer aid or their arm. Pride or independence can be a factor in the type of reinforcement one might choose and that might also be a factor affecting one’s self-esteem.  However those attributes cannot be effective when attempting to keep the elements or an attack at bay – then one must choose what seems to be the most effective support for the situation and trust in whatever you’ve chosen as your bulwark. Sometimes one can be surprised at where and how reinforcement arrives; it may be a provident root to grasp, a dolphin in the right place at the right time, or a book opening at just the right page.  Though we shouldn’t rely on synchronistic or providential props for our problems, it is good to know there is other reinforcement available, especially if we pay attention and plan for it. Isn’t it good to know that support is available almost anywhere if we but look for it?

Shunning

There may be one or more in our family, group, or community who have done or think things we believe they should not. Sometimes a group or all of us will shun this individual, not allow them a place or a voice within the community and may even behave as if they do not exist. This behavior, while effective by actively ridding the group of a nuisance, does not remain effective and not only damages the shunned one but the ones doing the shunning. While it may be necessary for a single person in a group to shun another person in order to maintain their sense of self and their self-respect it is a mistake for the entire community to act in concert and shun that person. Shunning is a mob activity that rarely, if ever, looks at or sees both sides of a situation and fosters intolerance. A better way to ease a painful situation is to calmly look at all the circumstances and follow a humane path to resolution. Once mob behavior is allowed in one situation, it can, and sometimes does, water the weed of mob behavior and create a predominantly negative family, group, or community. Shunning can be avoided by common sense and a level head. Justice can best be served by rational thought and a balanced view of things, don’t you think?

Another home

When one hears the word home spoken one usually thinks of a single place, whether physically or in the heart. When one thinks again, there may come the realization that there is more than one place that we can call home and have it be true. Just as there are seasons with plants and animals, there are also seasons with us. This may not involve time necessarily, but mood or circumstances or different people we have affinities with. Home can be a place we feel best in when we are happy and embracing new and different things, we can have a home for retreat and reevaluation, or we can have a home with all our dear ones around us, separate from the world. There is nothing wrong with having a set or a series of homes as long as we feel welcome and appreciated in each one. We must also give freely to each of our homes to help maintain them while we stay there or for them to be ready for our arrival at any time.  Our homes may be radically different from one another and it seem odd to others that we can be comfortable in such different environments or they can be so similar that it does not appear clear why we have different ones. We can have any number of homes or just one, but it is essential to have at least one place to belong and to call home. Do you feel that more than one place is home to you?