Kaleidoscope....

Next week is my birthday and I am planning to start a new tradition. Thanks to the world of online shopping, I was able to purchase a kaleidoscope kit for less than $10. It's basically a cardboard tube that comes with decorative paper for the outside of the tube, mirrors to create the reflections, a end cap and a bag of colored beads to bounce the reflection of light against. I suspect the whole project won't require more than a 30 minute investment of my time.


I'm sure most of you are wondering why in the world I'm starting an annual kaleidoscope building tradition which will take place each year on my birthday.  Well, sit back and let me fill in the details....


First I am going to write the date on the tube of my kaleidoscope, November 25, 2011. Then I am going to write the color of each bead I will be using in my project and label what each color represents in my life. For example, I will probably choose blue to represent my children since I have sons and most likely green will signify my professional life because green is the color of money. I will try to choose a color for each area of my life, from family to home to pets to whatever is important. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this kaleidoscope will represent a snapshot of my life on November 25, 2011. Ideally each area of my life should be represented by one bead but if there are certain areas that are consuming more of my time and energy, then I'll put in two or more beads of that color. For example, between Davison's feet and Gabriel's possible brain processing issue, I suspect there will be two blue beads in this year's kaleidoscope. Also, an additional area of my life that will deserve its own colored bead, probably for the rest of my life, will be my brother and sister's addictions and their deaths. Hopefully that will be represented by no more than one red bead on that day.


You may be wondering what's the significance of this ridiculous exercise and if so then I ask you to ponder this....when was the last time you looked thru a kaleidoscope? For some of you, it has probably been many years. If you get a chance, pick one up and point it toward a light source, then give it a very gentle turn...slowly and gently. You'll be amazed how radically it changes with only a fraction of an inch turn. Not only the pattern will change but the colors too. It may be filled with blue for one second but a gentle turn can reduce the blue in it to a speck or even completely eliminate it all together. Turn it again and the blue reappears in a totally different configuration.


There are two points to this exercise. The first is all I have to do is look at the beads, what they represent and how many of each color is found in the little plastic end cap to know what my life was consumed with on this particular birthday. It will be a sort of visual journal. It will tell me what my life looked like on that day and this time in my life can be re-experienced again and again by picking up my November 25, 2011 kaleidoscope and giving it a turn. It will be visually obvious what areas of my life were receiving more or less attention. The second and probably more important lesson gleaned from this exercise is to remind myself that sometimes one area of my life takes on increased significance because of a sick child, a hectic work schedule or a loved one's addiction. In other words, sometimes I forget to turn the kaleidoscope. I forget that it's even possible--that a gentle change of focus can offer more balance. No individual bead is glued to the center of the kaleidoscope, demanding a key position in each unique pattern yet it's so easy to get bogged down in the ruts of life we sometimes forget that changing any part of it is up to us. We don't have to quit that job.. end a relationship...exercise and diet our way into a size 6.. get that promotion...(fill in blank are)... We don't "have" to do anything but we also don't "have" to (and shouldn't) make any one thing the center of our lives indefinitely. In fact, nothing should be the center of attention ALL the time...not if we want to enjoy a balanced life. Even when we are going thru something really difficult, maybe something we can't ignore, we can still turn the kaleidoscope and put that problem off center. Doesn't mean we are going to ignore it but we're not going to be consumed by it either. There may also be times when it seems the kaleidoscope turns on its own and forces a certain bead to the center...a scary health diagnosis for ourself or a loved one, the possibility of losing a job, an addict who's in a full-blown episode or failing recovery or possibly going to jail, a separation or divorce, winning the lottery, starting a new business, etc.. all these things can suddenly force themselves into your mind until you can't think of anything else. Eventually you remember that other areas of your life, like your children, pets, health, etc are being neglected and then you feel extra guilty. You might even be the type of person who designates a certain colored bead to guilty because it's a huge part of your life. But at the point you start feeling guilty, try to remember to turn the kaleidoscope. If you do this every time you think about it, eventually you'll start remembering before your life becomes completely unbalanced and you'll instinctively begin to make changes, even without the vision reminder of the kaleidoscope. It may seem like a simple childish game but sometimes the simplest things are the most effective. 


Nothing is stopping you from giving your life a gentle turn or a hard spin...either way, the view is guaranteed to change!