"I Think It's a Balance Thing ..."

     As it happens, my dad is a big Science Fiction fan, and one of the shows that he enjoys is a show called "The X-Files". We don't normally watch it, not being quite as big fans, but every so often, Dad will find an episode he thinks we'd really like and shows it to us.

     One such episode was "The Goldberg Variation".  In it, a man named Henry Weems appears to be the luckiest man alive; but every time he gets lucky, someone around him has something bad happen to them.  As he explains it to Agent Mulder, "I think it's a balance thing. Something good happens to me and everybody else has to take it in the keister."
     During the last year, it seems like everyone we talked to has "taken it in the keister." It's a vicious cycle that never, ever, ends. In the last three months especially our immediate family has been hurting and for the longest time we couldn't figure out why.

One example of a Rube Goldberg Machine

     But then Bird and Reaganite, observant people that they are, realized that at the time our troubles started, the Vatican's Synod on the Family was beginning. It is entirely possible that we were spiritually taking it in the keister for the Church, as I am positive that other Catholic Faithful were as well. Now, there were other good things happening closer to home too, but my belief is that it was a combination of them that was pushing us towards a cliff edge. After all, we are all connected through the communion of saints, and Henry Weem's Rube Goldberg machines (characterized by a cause and effect sequence of tricks)  didn't ever consist of just one trick.
     Just recently, in the last couple of weeks, it seems that our troubles are slowing down, and it is 95.5% certain that we won't go careening off the cliff.
     Yesterday, however, my aunt called and said that one of our extended family member's mom was sick and his nephew had been in a car crash. We hadn't heard anything but good news from the extended family all while we were having our problems. Reaganite called this weekend too, and said that he was having some problems, but said he wouldn't elaborate until after they were over. And so, it's a balance thing. When something good happens, someone gets hurt. When the pressure lets up on someone, it squeezes someone else.
     So what can we do about it? Well, not much. We can pray, of course. We can be encouraging and supporting and stand by other people when the pressure lets off of us. We can offer up the little trials for other people (which is actually very good practice for when the big trials come).   And occasionally, when we know that the pressure is getting too much for someone, we can shift the balance. We can ask God to let us take on the stress and the impatience and the tiredness of the people who need to be strong, buoyant, and patient for someone else.
     It's scary, though, to do that. You can never quite tell what you're going to get.  You can never tell who you really helped either. But be assured, there is nothing more rewarding then to shift the balance.

     With love, and hoping we can do some good,
               -Bonny