CREATIVE THINKING: My holiday balancing act
Proudly displayed on a department store shelf in New York, it caught my eye. The materials used to construct it were simple and the design featured no frills.
It was a Santa riding a reindeer like a cowboy would a horse. Holding the rope reins, Santa looked straight ahead with a determined gaze. I was drawn to him and had to walk closer for a better view.
At first, I thought all the components were connected to form a decorative piece. Upon closer observation, I realized it was much more than that. The sculpture was created out of metal, and Santa, his bag full of gifts and the reindeer were perched on a simple base. The base had a weighted element that indicated the possibility of motion.
I tapped the reindeer and the entire sculpture came to life.
The reindeer began to gallop, making a clomping noise. His head moved up and down as did his tail and the pair of them appeared to be headed toward a destination. I was mesmerized as I waited for them to leave the shelf and trot off through the store.
Back and forth the sculpture rhythmically moved, placing me in a trance-like state. I knew I had to have it!
The saleslady picked it up, separating the metal base from Santa and his ride. That's when I was really impressed. Nothing held the two pieces together except for them being completely balanced. "Wow," I thought to myself. "What a treasure!"
I've had this interesting sculpture for several years, but each year when I unpack it, I'm amazed once again. Maybe it's because of the simple and childlike quality of the design or the magical appearance it evokes.
Whatever it is, the other night as I placed it in the room it resides in during December, my thoughts turned to the whole concept of balance.
According to the dictionary, balance means an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. That certainly describes Santa and his reindeer, but being balanced has so many more meanings.
The other night as I was lying awake, I thought of balance in the sense of juggling more than one thing. As we all know, life is full of that kind of balancing act.
Racing through my mind and chasing away my counting sheep were thoughts of my plans for the next day. Even as I panicked -- realizing that accomplishing all of them was impossible for one human within a 24-hour period -- I still attempted to clump my plans together into some sort of order.
Like a trapeze artist walking atop a high wire, I felt like I was dangerously hovering between staying upright and falling off.
How do we find balance in a world full of tight schedules and important responsibilities? How do we balance what has to be done with the parts of our lives where no time clock is punched and no check issued?
How do we balance stopping for lunch with a friend when we should be working or creating that special memory with a family member? How do we find harmony with it all?
If only I had the answer to those questions! This time of year, clocks seem to run faster than usual, ticking away days and nights at the speed of light. Each day is a struggle to beat the clock at any cost and, in the process, we end up shaving away bits of our happiness.
We need to face the fact that we simply cannot do it all; we have to find a balance.
The other day, after a cycling class, our teacher led us through a series of stretching exercises. One of the yoga-like moves requires you to stand on one foot while reaching for the ceiling with your arm. It is a simple study in physical balance. It's not an easy move, but one that can be mastered with practice. As I was attempting to do it, I wished there was a move we could do to find that kind of balance in our lives.
I read a quote the other day by poet and author Thomas Merton: "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."
Those are beautiful words that really sum it up for me, but getting to that special state of equilibrium in our lives is easier said than done. It takes practice -- except, that is, for my metal Santa and his reindeer!
Each day we are blessed with 24 hours. How we use those hours has a direct effect on our lives. As with almost everything, it all boils down to choices. We have to decide what is most important and find the time for it.
We must capture any opportunity afforded us to create a lasting memory. At the end of the day, when we recap our day's accomplishments, it is our memories that we will treasure.
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This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 4:25 PM with the headline "CREATIVE THINKING: My holiday balancing act ."