Living Happiness

He did not arrive at this conclusion by the decent process of quiet, logical deduction, nor yet by the blinding flash of glorious intuition, but by the shoddy, untidy process halfway between the two by which one usually gets to know things. ~Margery Allingham

Once upon a time, Intuition had a partner.  She filled her days in his company, and together they made magic.

Everywhere they went, people commented on them and what a remarkable couple they were.  They became the most popular guests at dinner parties, the most sought after for society events.  Their social calendar was full.  And why not?  Everyone wanted to be paid a visit.  Everyone wanted to be where They were.  Everyone, deep down, just wanted to be them – that’s how glamorous they were.

But then one day, Intuition and her partner had a falling out.  Over what, no one is quite sure.  But it seems Intuition wanted to do things one way and her partner, another.  And for the first time, their often-reconcilable disagreements did not end in a compromise.  Neither one would give and inch and, just like that, the fabric of their relationship was torn.

Intuition decided to go it alone and so, therefore, did her partner.  Being the more vibrant of the two, Intuition, of course, got the lion’s share of the sympathy and remained a favorite at many of the dinner parties and weekend soirees they two used to frequent together.

Her partner, Reason, however, did not fare so well and was slowly sidelined into only brief appearances at occasional luncheons, talks, and teas.  Only rarely now did any of their old friends contact him, and when they did it was usually on the sly, secretly, when no one was looking … lest any of Intuition’s friends find out and fill her in.

Time wore on as it does in situations like these.  Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into years, and before long hardly anyone could remember anymore a time when Reason and Intuition had been partners or – more than this – lovers of the highest order.

Friends of either one knew only the “now.”  And since, to their minds, their friends’ permanent state of spinster- (or bachelorhood, as the case may be) had always been the given state of things, they could have no way of knowing the playful, boyish side of Reason that Intuition had once never failed to bring out in him.  Nor could they understand the focused, confident face Intuition used to present to the world when, reassured and calmed by Reason’s steadying hand at her elbow (or in the small of her back), they entered a room together.

However, in a few (very few) hidden places around the world, there are still some people who know and remember a time when Reason and Intuition were one.  These are their oldest friends, the ones who couldn’t believe the split when it happened.  And as they’ve watched the two try to go it alone, they’ve secretly hoped for and awaited the day when it will finally occur to them again – Intuition and Reason – that they are not fully themselves without the other.  These friends know that Reason and Intuition’s place is right by each other’s side.

What about you?

Do you believe that Intuition and Reason can be reconciled?

Or are their differences irreconcilable?

Your comments are welcome, as always.

We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.
~Blaise Pascal

Namaste,

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Photo credit priscila_tonon

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief.
~William Shakespeare, Othello

(Almost) every Sunday on Living Happiness, we take the time to share our bright spots in the week in a little thing called The Joy List. We have celebrated joyful moments here … and given our appreciation for daily blessings … and today we are honoring those moments that have simply made us smile.

Sometimes it’s not easy to smile. Daily pressures wear on us and make us heavy. Difficult circumstances erode at us, wearing away our joy. But then, quite unexpectedly, something happens: maybe a child at the table next to us laughs and pours his cereal bowl over his head, maybe the guy next to us at the stoplight busts an MC Hammer move in the front seat of his car, maybe someone simply smiles at us as we pass them in the street. However it happens, these smiles can lift our spirits, change our scope, remind us that the absence of light in our dark times doesn’t mean that the light has ceased to exist.

As always, Living Happiness asked the question this week, “What moments have brought a smile to your face?”

Here is what we heard:

1. How happy my daughter was when “Cowboy Dan” at church said goodbye to her yesterday by name. It was hilarious – it was like her version of celebrity. She talked about it the rest of the day. ~Addie Campbell Nix

2. My doodlebug running through the yard from the afternoon bus drop,waving a red ribbon for winning 2nd place in both the frisbee-throwing contest on field day and for a painting in the school’s art competition. My boys playing hide and seek, fort, etc. all morning with the boxes I was using to pack … such imaginations and how happy they were with something so simple. The help of my mother-in-law and the new relationship we are building. Being given the keys to the cute lil house I plan to make a home for my family. ~Carrie Chappell

3. My 10-year-old called me at work two days ago to let me know he had put the dishes away for me. My daughter gave me a kiss and thanked me for driving her to pick up something she had forgotten. Last night my 2 teenagers were having a conversation in the living room (without arguing). ~Horte Hernandez

4. Got to see my little girl that is still growing inside me! She is healthy and getting big! How beautiful! ~Shelley Doolittle Bowers

And here are my additions:

5. Watching a dear friend spending time with her six-month-old daughter … and seeing this beautiful baby girl smile.

6. Being “bartended” by our neighbours’ three-year-old daughter, who kept trying to top up everyone’s glass. Half ended up in the glass, and half ended up on the table.

7. My husband yelling out, “GOAL!” for the neighbours to hear.

8. Lying on the beach, watching the kids playing football with a beach ball, like they themselves were in the World Cup.

Now it’s your turn:

What moments have made you smile this past week?

Wishing all of the many fathers out there a very special and happy Father’s Day!!!

If you would like to contribute to each Sunday’s The Joy List, join Living Happiness’s Facebook Community where each week’s theme is shared ahead of time.

Photo Credit hlkljgk