Balance of all things

The simple definition of balance, for our purposes are equal parts, portions or amounts of matter, energies and actions. The matter, energies and actions within the universe are the aspects of the universe, the aspects that influence all that happens.

My first attempt at writing this page was a less then satisfying accomplishment, though the words said would I intended they did not convey the feelings. This lack of feeling I can only attribute to a common error made when trying to explain something. I was trying to be so complete that I was being too complex, while thinking I was keeping it simple. So, what follows is the result of an email my brother received from a friend, it has inspired a much different feeling.

Balance is a much debated concept in many new age and pagan groups, how is it that such a simple word can cause so many debates? Much of it comes from the separating it into it's component parts. One is the internal balance of the eastern philosophies, this being of inner peace and tranquility, a oneness. Another is the "New World" concept of a oneness with nature, that ultimate all consuming communion. The last is the western (Judeo/Christian) concept of good conquering evil and thus a balance is achieved.

How a balance can be achieved without a counterpart is beyond my scope of understanding. It is of course a new concept as the ancients knew that balance was a coin, that sorrow and joy were merely different parts of the same thing. As the Gods were composed of both masculine and feminine parts, it figured that the universe would be comprised of similar components. In Sumer the cycle of the moon showed this and was revered for this aspect, the cycle of new to full and back to new. So went the universe with the blue sky of day with one great life giving bright spot, the night with it's cycling moon, dark sky and moving stars, the balance was confirmed.

This can be seen in the growth of civilization throughout history, the balance of adversity and prosperity. Flooding was a significant problem in early Mesopotamia (adversity). The yearly rainy season in the northern mountains would swell the great rivers to overflow. The early Sumerians seen that these area were fertile, building dikes and levies the irrigation gates and channels they found they could master the floods (prosperity). Where this balance of adversity and prosperity growth was stifled and civilization stagnated or died out. This is the most potent of all the examples I could write here save one, the original reason I started rewriting this page.

Here in it's entirety is the email that got me thinking of how this page should be worded.

I Wish You Enough

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said "I love you and I wish you enough."

She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."

They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing.

"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked. "I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said.

"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'". "May I ask what that means?"

He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.

"When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you  enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye."

He then began to sob and walked away.

This email was timed perfectly, I was not fully satisfied with the previous work and still sought a bit more assistance. This was exactly what I was looking for, the one thing to key the thoughts needed to explain the way we teach balance.

In closing I would like to extent to you two last things, if you feel the need to enrich someone else's life then copy the message above and email it to them or print it and hand it to them. The second thing would be, I wish you enough.

Be well.