Someone in our family, who will remain nameless, dislikes tinkling wind chimes. I used to have a wind chime but became tired of re-hanging it after someone took it down. If the shells from Hawaii or cheap, tinkling tubes from China reproduced the thundering majesty of Berlioz’ Requiem with four brass choirs, 400 singers and a thousand kazillion tympanis, he someone would hang them on both north and south sides of our house. I have settled for occasionally enjoying our neighbor’s large, wooden wind chime singing in a stiff wind.
Similarly our families, as emotional units, vibrate like a wind chime or mobile. Each member is separate yet attached to another through the supporting bar or string. When a breeze disturbs one member, the balance shifts and all parts are affected.
Transitional winds puff and blow, challenging our family’s balance. Our pattern of response reveals our system's learned coping techniques.
None of us swings freely like a spider beginning a new web. We are all connected to long-established webs, some of which effectively fed us and some of which were easily blown apart, giving us little support and no sense of security. Considering the variety of wind chimes and mobiles available in the market place, we also recognize the variety and uniqueness of family systems.
None of us swings freely like a spider beginning a new web. We are all connected to long-established webs, some of which effectively fed us and some of which were easily blown apart, giving us little support and no sense of security. Considering the variety of wind chimes and mobiles available in the market place, we also recognize the variety and uniqueness of family systems.
Thank you to the creative and generous Sue Rena Curtis for allowing us to display her mobile, “Irene”.
Your writing is powerful! As I wend my way through church life, I find myself harkening back to your writing and using the lessons you teach. Thank you! Mary DJ
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