Under the bright, blue bubble

Between a stimulus and a response there is a space.  

In that space is our power to choose our response. 

In our response lies our growth and freedom.

Viktor Frankl

Life goes on, up in our blue left hand corner of the country. I've never been happier to live in the Northwest, or more grateful for my friends, family and community.  We have a lot to think about and this emotional point is probably not the time to over-think.  But it goes without saying, many of us are confused, worried and upset.

Taoism (pronounced Dowism) is an ancient Chinese religion. It believes that life flows in much the same way as a river. Although we can influence our lives, we are never able to take total control. The goal of Taoism is to look at life without judgement or interpretation.  How hard! But the true significance of an event can never be understood while it is happening. 

Good things are constantly being born out of the seemingly bad, and vice versa. Often, it's just a matter of time until an event or decision from one category leads directly to one in the other.

There's a famous 2,000 year old Taoist parable called "The Farmer and His Horse."  It goes like this:

A poor old farmer worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away, his most valuable and beloved possession. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"Maybe," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"Maybe," replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

"Maybe," answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
"Maybe," said the farmer.

What is bad leads to good leads to bad leads to good, ad infinitum. The farmer is wise enough to know it all comes out in the wash.