Memoir: Coaly

Contagious smile, organized laughter, narrow stature. Coaly's communication style adorns him. 

 He seamlessly transitions conversations with all persons, all backgrounds, both genders.

Coaly inhales the personalities, stories, and lives of those around him; social interactions bead his demeanor.


He exhales gratitude.
but for those who have hurt him, frustration attempts to pry open the shell which contains the red and disheveled flow of atrium and ventricle.

But he relies on strength from a muscle that is not his. Clamped together with unforeseen strength,

his pearl is safe.  
.

Forgiveness and Absorption: The lost art of confrontation

What a strange title.

However, with some explanation, we will begin unfold forgiveness and absorption.
This Sunday, Josh talked about how when we forgive, we absorb our pride and our shame, rather than retaliate.

Maybe I was wronged, and rather than retaliating, I absorb my shame. That seems beautiful in theory and practice. I am sure its actualization proves more difficult. Nonetheless, it is good.

Further thoughts:

I hope others do not manipulate emotional absorption to act as justification for avoiding conflict.

Confrontation is not necessarily a topic where individuals are prone to think, "wow, the beauty of life is contained in really honest encounters among friends and family."

I mean, really, that is WHAT confrontation is: honest encounters. It does not have to mean, "sitting down, yelling, and then standing up and leaving."

It is vital to bust the connotations of the word "confrontation" before many will find themselves comfortable practicing it.

When we hear the word, some of us want to puke. Others of us think of think of wild sports dads who yell obscenities at referees. Still others of us may just think about how we would yell back-and-forth with our parents when we were ten-years-old.

dictionary.com says
–noun

1.

an act of confronting.

2.

the state of being confronted.

3.

a meeting of persons face to face.

4.

an open conflict of opposing ideas, forces, etc.

5.

a bringing together of ideas, themes, etc., for comparison.

6.

Psychology. a technique used in group therapy, as in encounter groups, in which one is forced to recognize one's shortcomings and their possible consequences

I particularly like four. Five seems like a synonym for juxtaposition.

I think six is the definition we seek. An encounter-yes, I believe confrontation is an encounter.

Let's examine the healthiness of our relationships. But more importantly examine ourselves.

Do I care more about my friendship than my friend?

Do I rely more on the security of my friendship than I care about blessing my friend with the truth and wisdom in deep sincerity and love?

Memior: iave

Petite, but not dim witted by any means. Iave, a slightly young-looking-for-her-age brunette, is mild in manner. By no means does mild imply boring or deficient; rather, mysterious grace directs her responses. Contained in her thoughts are stories of beauty. Compassion illuminates her actions, and sincerity inhales deeply her glow. 


Iave's spirit pirouettes. She will become a dancer, and in time she will know and embrace it as her means of release. Her reason to step justice into darkness. 


Her golden curls intertwine and rest on her upper back. 


She has dignity. 

Memoir: Tobi

Tobi was a very educated man: quick in understanding, and focused! How he was focused.

It is said that motivated persons usually pursue knowledge. This, too, was true of Tobi, with one definite difference. Knowledge targeted Tobi. He and knowledge interacted,  composed of the atoms he embraced and taught. Mathematics happened to Tobi, and he responded in brilliance.

Tobi was, by nature, a teacher. His relationship with his interests disseminated more than information; abstraction in mathematics and space placated his restlessness. His head composed of facts, his mouth elucidating the beauty of cylinders, engines, mysterious sciences to  educated men and women.

Tobi's mind: intricate and forward.

A chance meeting with a deer in the forest reminds you of beauty. She stands unmoving-- neck stretched, her eyes sift the blank space ahead. The twig you snapped with your foot caused ripples in her security. About ten seconds pass, and and you watch her bushy tail cut the air as she escapes, hooves thrash the leaves aside.

You are not a hunter, at least you know that about yourself. You were escaping to the forest, though. Respite breathes deeply in between the trees, but usually during daytime; fear and uncertainty creep after dusk.

And maybe those two hours you spent exploring the forest are all you needed to make a decision or quench your need for adventure.

But one thing is sure: you leave the forest, somehow changed.