When I watch a bud opening in an incremental way over two to three days, I fascinated by the inherent nature of the flower of to be open fully!
It is only when a bud is eaten away by caterpillar the flower does not have a chance to be open!
There is a momentum within us that allows us to be open !
One observation I am compelled to make is about the nature of human behaviour. I suspect that being open to God, oneself, to each other as husband and wife, to children and towards others with whom we have regular contact is at different stages in our lives!
What facilities openness psycho-socially?
According to Erik Homburger Erikson, a German-American psychoanalyst, who proposed eight stages of psychosocial formation from infancy to old age placed the mid life( 40-65 years) as a season of 'generativity'. Erickson envisaged the middle adulthood as an 'involvement or a desire to create, nurture, and contribute to the world through raising children, mentoring, teaching, or cultural ancestry community activities. Generativity strands in contrast to stagnation, which is a feeling of being unproductive and disconnected. This season normally evokes concern for and commitment to the welfare of future generations, which includes activities that contribute to the next generation and leave a positive legacy'.
How can such a life of mindful involvement in the lives of others to engage and relate, be ever possible unless we are open to receive, give, forgive and foster wellness of others!
The state and extent of our openness is a defining influence in living this season of mid life to upbuild others for future!
I have struggled a lot with being open. I used the blog spots of the last 13 years to practice self disclosure, although the journey ahead invites to grow further in self-disclosure.
A life is never fully open when we seek an exalted social image for ourselves! When we are comfortable to be as one, equal with others, then we are on a common platform with others to share our gains and losses.
I keep that as a direction for myself in the coming years! To know and to be known as honestly as possible!
It is a personal and shared journey!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment