Balance

I purchased this print, "Solitary Me," by Ahnishnabae artist Clemence Wescoupe, thirty-five years ago in Winnipeg.  Since then, it has represented my vision for myself.

I see a balanced figure, poised in space, maintaining itself in eternal balance in the epicenter of currents.  The creature's swan-like beak evokes elegance and confidence.  Its graceful, arched wings and tail recall the most ethereal ballet movements.  At its core, colour.  Passion.  Heart.  The essence of life which gives it its identity.

Funny thing, until this very moment, I'd always thought of the creature as a bird.  But now I see that its head, fins, and tail could conjure up a fish just as easily, and the blue suggests the water as much as the firmament.

This print has reminded me time and again to seek balance, equanimity, the ability to maintain one's poise, even before the buffeting winds of life.  It has inspired me to search for peace and contentment within myself, and not to yoke someone else's shoulders with the responsibility for my happiness.

After all, we are first alone.  No matter how intimate or numerous our relationships, we must be strong and secure in our own identity to realize the richness they can promise.  The strength of our relationships relies so much on the confidence and sense of self we bring to them in the first place.

This is the vision for myself I continue to work toward.   It's another work in progress.