Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.
If it were always a fist or always stretched open,
you would be paralyzed.
Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding,
The two as beautifully balanced and coordinated
as birdswings.
from Birdswings by Rumi; The Essential Rumi; Translated by Coleman Barks
The verbally abusive relationship is paralyzed. The abuser always has his hand, heart and mind closed to the abused. The victim’s hand is always open, giving, forever giving. Is it any wonder the abused is always in recovery when there is time to breathe. Is it any wonder the abused does not know how to take care of herself, please herself, love herself, or take joy in the things she does. She does not act of her own accord. She gives under constant demand. She is under pressure all the time. She is so busy with the open-handed commands that she does not have time to think. She has been conditioned to believe her self-worth is in meeting the constant demands, always giving. She has no walls of self. And without walls, the fortress is always overrun.
I saw two butterflies climbing higher while twirling around each other.
It is a sight that seems so simple and yet it is so beautiful. It speaks to a higher self.
Our deepest presence is as the birds wings, open, close, open, close –
The butterflies appeared to be joyful; they appeared to be at play. And I believe a relationship that is healthy will look just like these two butterflies.
© Vicci Springer 11/30/2010
Taking down the canopied “garage” on the last day of testing.
