The art of balance

Balance is one of those sustaining principles in nature that shapes also our interactions with other people and even spills over into the ways we explain the world. A philosophy of balance would say: "not too much of this or not too much of that, and life will be OK." Most people would agree with that, but Jan. In her life, balance is secondary; as long as she speaks truthfully and she is told the truth, it doesn't matter whether the world is upside down, including her own.

The most obvious proof that Jan struggles with balance is just to see her walking when she is tired. She wobbles like a boat in troubled waters. Hesitant, she takes a few steps, stops, regains balance and then continues. Someone defined walking as a way of moving from one point to the another by throwing the body constantly out of balance, then moving one foot to regain the balance momentarily, just to go out of balance again...

This is Jan at her best. By keeping herself out of balance she keeps moving forward. It is a paradox, like her unshakable love for God.

A balanced life can be peaceful and predictable, safe. But, it can be choking and mediocre as well. Instead, she pushes the boundaries beyond that which is balanced. She likes being in the eye of the hurricane.

Life with Jan is an experience similar to walking on a tightrope or walking on water. There is no offer for balance, rather, the offer is to move forward, to be daring, to accept the risk of being out of balance and out of the comfort zone.

This is why I married her.

To keep the balance between a balanced and safe life and one that moves into unknown territories of life is an art. Achieving balance is important in life, as long as it does not block growth. There is no science to this. It is all an art.

FC