A Different Kind of Circle

Dear Daughter,

It has been a long time since Papa wrote on your Blog, although we have done so, so many things since the last time. We have been to Texas and New Mexico this summer and did many Papa and Buglette things that I will try to write about soon, even though they are already becoming distant memories since we are back in Belgium and you have begun school again. You will be learning new things and we will be able to share that magic of learning together.

Papa is also always learning new things, such as this weekend.

Papa met a very special person named Kazuaki Tanahashi, but he likes to just go by "Kaz," which is much easier to remember.

He is an artist whose specialty is the zen circle, or "ensõ" in Japanese. It is an imperfect circle that reminds us of the imperfections in life. In other words, the sooner we accept that things will not be "perfect," then we will live a much happier life and will be able to learn without fear.

I hope you get to meet Kaz one day. I think you would really like him.

But, Papa got the next best thing and bought one of his works so you can see how magical the ensõ is. Here is a picture for now until Papa can pick it up.

Remember, as you tell Papa, "nobody is good in everything, but everyone is good at something..."

I Love You,
Papa

Heart and Brain

Dear Daughter,

Last evening, while getting ready for bed, you asked me, "Papa, what is the most specialist part of our bodies? The Heart or the Brain?"

I told you that they were both equally important, that without the Brain, the Heart would not know how to beat, and without the Heart, the Brain would die.

I then told you about the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang and I drew the figure for you as part of our Buglette Chronicle. We talked about how in the circle there is Light and there is Dark, but they are not opposites, but they are connected. For, within the Light, there is  always a piece of the Dark and the other way around. And, only in the presence of the Dark, can you see just how brilliant the Light is, for otherwise, everything were merely be dull. And, it is necessary to have both the Light and the Dark in order to have a Perfect Circle, complete with its Imperfections.

You said, "Ah, yes, that is what the Peacock in Kung Fu Panda says, 'something Light and something Dark will come."

Exactly.

So, without our mind, we cannot Love with our hearts, but, without our hearts, our brains would never know what Love is.

Remember, Heart and Brain are like Yin and Yang.

I Love You,

Papa