“All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.”

― Marc Chagall

My thoughts this week have been stirred by images and headlines in the news that illustrate and announce an intolerance for opposites and others. How appropriate to contemplate the word ‘complementary’ with this Challenge. Here’s one definition: “combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another”. I think of my four adult children who gathered online with me for a virtual celebration of my eldest’s 40th birthday on Friday. Their similarities and differences have always amused and fascinated me. Any delusions that they might be “mini-Me” are long gone. They are themselves, each unique and distinct, offering something invaluable and inimitable into the ripples of Life. Our small family circle is a microcosm of the interconnected web of existence. We need each other, we help each other, we protect each other, we nourish each other, we support each other, we encourage each other to be our best selves. It is not unimaginable that this dynamic could extend to the entire human family.

Our highly evolved brains are wired to notice difference, to compare and contrast. That skill can be used to be aware and appreciative of variety – in texture, color, personality, culture – and to understand nuance. And that skill can be applied to dividing, sorting, separating. It’s important to take care how we use our tools, where we use our tools, and on what we use our tools.

Thank you, Egidio, for reminding me of the beauty of this spectrum and the dynamic of the contrasts in it.