there is a principle in chemistry that has always resonated with me personally. it's called le chatelier's principle. it describes how if a system in equilibrium experiences a change in the environment, it will readjust to counteract the change and reach equilibrium again. i discovered my personal connection with this idea 20 years ago in boston when i realized that if i'm walking and find that where i'm going is actually on the other side of the street, i respond by immediately crossing the street, to the correct side. i'm incapable of waiting until the crosswalk or a better place to cross, it's almost magnetic (or perhaps OCD).
i wonder where my application of this principle fits in here, where life itself feels unbalanced, but especially compared to my prior equilibrium. my situation has changed. what has to readjust in order to equilibrate? what is my response to this system change? and what exactly has changed?
the light on the trees at the sunset?
the absence of old friends who know the histories of me?
the minute to minute awareness of how much more we have than the rest of the world?
and what is the counter action to these things?
yesterday our family went to the orphanage where zoe and i spend our fridays. we decided that this Christmas we want to focus on others, and share some of what we have. so we came with this Christmas tree, (charlie brown would be proud), diapers, home-baked Christmas cookies, an art project to do with the kids and a movie to watch with them.
unfortunately, this is the only picture i took of the entire day. i have no pictures of those beautiful kids, and their happy faces, or the cookies with red and yellow sprinkles, or the workers who were thrilled.
and i missed photographing the morning of preparation. i missed capturing on film my few moments of glory. doing the mommy thing- the making and decorating of the Christmas cookies with my children. this is an important distinction. i wouldn't get any points for just making the cookies- it's the process of directing the spreading of flour, the rolling of the dough, the cutting of the shapes (not just in the middle! but the sides, to maximize the rolled dough), the application of the sprinkles (on the cookies not all over the tray!) that is the hard part- that is what gets points. because a simple and fun filled activity like making Christmas cookies with my kids, can be an ordeal for those of us who follow le chatlier's principle. when our equilibrium is thrown by the flour all over the floor and the kids licking their fingers and then poking them into the dough, and there being more sprinkles on the tray than the cookies. for me, unfortunately, i have to try really hard to just 'let it go', to not cross the metaphorical street, to wait on my counter action. to enjoy the activity and not be stressed out about the mess, about the momentary imbalance. and it was great, we did have fun.
my kids were so excited to bring these things and play, and all of it was well received. i wish i had pictures of all those kids wolfing down their cookies and giggling at 'the grinch who stole Christmas'- because people are just people. cookies taste good in any country, even and perhaps especially if you eat them on a straw mat. cartoons are funny even if the language is different. we're not so far apart.
i hope especially this year, in this place of change in so many areas, my children will know that what matters most is that they're loved, not how many presents are under the tree. i hope this year, our response to our 'system disruption' will not be an opposing reaction, but an embracing and engaging response. i hope as we find our new equilibrium here, we will share the love and the peace brought by that baby in the manger who came in response to the brokenness and disruption in all our lives. and i hope i'll remember to take pictures!
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| small pick up truck with 1 story of mattress pads on top- wobbling in the wind |
the light on the trees at the sunset?
the absence of old friends who know the histories of me?
the minute to minute awareness of how much more we have than the rest of the world?
and what is the counter action to these things?
unfortunately, this is the only picture i took of the entire day. i have no pictures of those beautiful kids, and their happy faces, or the cookies with red and yellow sprinkles, or the workers who were thrilled.
and i missed photographing the morning of preparation. i missed capturing on film my few moments of glory. doing the mommy thing- the making and decorating of the Christmas cookies with my children. this is an important distinction. i wouldn't get any points for just making the cookies- it's the process of directing the spreading of flour, the rolling of the dough, the cutting of the shapes (not just in the middle! but the sides, to maximize the rolled dough), the application of the sprinkles (on the cookies not all over the tray!) that is the hard part- that is what gets points. because a simple and fun filled activity like making Christmas cookies with my kids, can be an ordeal for those of us who follow le chatlier's principle. when our equilibrium is thrown by the flour all over the floor and the kids licking their fingers and then poking them into the dough, and there being more sprinkles on the tray than the cookies. for me, unfortunately, i have to try really hard to just 'let it go', to not cross the metaphorical street, to wait on my counter action. to enjoy the activity and not be stressed out about the mess, about the momentary imbalance. and it was great, we did have fun.
my kids were so excited to bring these things and play, and all of it was well received. i wish i had pictures of all those kids wolfing down their cookies and giggling at 'the grinch who stole Christmas'- because people are just people. cookies taste good in any country, even and perhaps especially if you eat them on a straw mat. cartoons are funny even if the language is different. we're not so far apart.
i hope especially this year, in this place of change in so many areas, my children will know that what matters most is that they're loved, not how many presents are under the tree. i hope this year, our response to our 'system disruption' will not be an opposing reaction, but an embracing and engaging response. i hope as we find our new equilibrium here, we will share the love and the peace brought by that baby in the manger who came in response to the brokenness and disruption in all our lives. and i hope i'll remember to take pictures!
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