Sep. 21, 2022

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

~Albert Einstein

Beloveds–

Have you noticed what the sun’s been doing? Or really, I suppose, it’s what the earth is doing in relation to the sun. Right about now we’re in one of the times of year when daytime and nighttime are roughly equal in length. Some days are still getting summery-hot, but not for as long as in July or August, and early mornings and evenings are gradually getting cooler and cooler. Google tells me that the equinox officially happens this week on Thursday at 8:03 pm in our time zone. That particular moment of absolutely even balance between light & dark is part of a celestial dance between our planet and our sun, without which life would be impossible and pumpkin spice lattes would never appear in our coffeehouses.

We understand at a very basic level that balance is crucial, and yet I at least frequently forget that real balance is hardly ever static. Instead, it is cyclical, patterned, always changing, always on the way in and on the way out. As I reflect on my attempts to lead a balanced life, I realize that somewhere behind much of my effort and almost all of my frustration lies a false assumption that once I figure it out just right, I will be able to maintain my balance, always knowing what I need to stay perfectly aligned in every moment. I suspect it mostly doesn’t happen that way for most of us. Perhaps, like our planet, we would do well “just” to keep moving, trusting that just the right sense of balance will emerge at just the right moments as surely as it will slip away, to return at the next right moment.

Yours in the dance and the balancing acts,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation
RevDenise@gnuuc.org