Do you ever think about life's yin-yang? That's an old Chinese philosophy used to describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world. Like light and dark, or life and death, or pizza and beer. Well, 2 out of 3....
Being a bit introspective this morning (at least as introspective as my oddness will allow), I was thinking about how every single person I've known who has had more than a few candles on his birthday cake has had serious yin-yang life experiences.
I remember a friend from my childhood who came from a very comfortable family, had pretty much every material thing he wanted, was smart, had no trouble in school, had his own great family, career....then crashed when he had life threatening kidney disease resulting in a transplant. I don't even know if he's still alive today.
For myself, I've had some great times, some decidedly NOT so great times, some sky-high and some wagon-rut low career experiences, too. I've had some skin cancer, but it was no biggie, and all is well today. Yin-yang.
My point is, we're not islands. People who are whole and healthy need to be helpers and "pay forward", because odds are the day will come when they, too, will need help. It works both ways.
Proof? I just heard on the news a civilian sailboat off the coast of North Carolina recently found itself in trouble and had to call for help. Their rescuers? The USS Cole (the same ship attacked by Mid-east terrorists back in 2000).
Just think about that for a minute.
S
