Entangled

You are born alone. You die alone. The value of the space in between is trust and love. That is why geometrically speaking the circle is a one. – Louise Bourgeois

Like a “zero,” a circle is an emblem of the All. And in its shape, lies one of the most beautiful paradoxes present in life: entanglement.

Every relationship is an entanglement of hopes, dreams, desires, wishes, fears and possibilities. This is true of both our relationship with the self and of our relationship with the other.

In this regard, we belong in bits and pieces to every place that we have been, and with everyone that we have shared moments. We never truly belong in any one place; and yet perhaps it can be argued that the one place that we have always belonged is to ourselves.

Often times, we look outwards in search of meaning, answers and belonging; but perhaps the ultimate truth lies in realizing: home is within me.

Personally, I have always believed that relationships aren’t about completing each other. It is not your responsibility to fill my voids, or my emptiness. That is my journey. Rather, the most powerful relationships are those that complement the aspects of me that I love the most; in the presence of this kind of love, energy multiplies.

We are social beings; and therefore the answer of belonging doesn’t exist outside the context of the other, but rather right in the presence of it.

Trust and love are the bedrock upon which all relationships are built. And on this foundation is where we begin to sculpt our life.

I recollect you saying that: we mold our lives from clay, sculpting and shaping as we go along. I couldn’t agree more. Which is why I, like you, believe that everyone is an artist. The tools that we use to make our art are our beliefs about our self and the world, our perspective and approach, and our interactions with others. The tools that we use to sculpt our mold of clay change with time, and with the presence of different kinds of people and energy – nonetheless, we keep chiseling, shaping, and carving the sculpture of our life; the journey is our design.

At times we may feel alone and isolated; distant from everyone and from ourselves. Other times we will find ourselves on top of the world, filled with hope and joy. Where we belong is in that river of life, and through the ebb and flow we create our meaning.

When we need a little hope, it might help to remember that even the shape of “nothing” represents everything, all we have to do is add a twist.*

And absence will find a presence.

This is the power of Entanglement.

*Adapted from Kurt Vonnegut’s original quote.