Push and Pull

This afternoon, the husband and I headed down to Manayunk, one of Philadelphia's quirky neighborhoods. We were out window shopping and enjoying the good weather when we came across the sign above. It reminded me of a conversation I had with my Mother earlier in the day. She has a friend who has breast cancer. The diagnosis came last Wednesday, the same night that they were supposed to go to an outdoor concert. Needless to say, the friend was in a funk after getting 'the call' and had contacted Mother with the idea of cancelling. Mother wouldn't have that. So, at the end of a rather good concert, the friend turned to her and said, "Thanks. I needed the push or else I would have stayed at home and in a funk all night."

Telling words. When you think about it, life is full of pushing and pulling. I'm not thinking of the bad kind of pushing and pulling; the kind that is more akin to fighting and can quickly suck the life out of you. No. I'm thinking of pushing and pulling from a different perspective. It could be as simple as pushing ourselves for personal growth and achievement or pulling our friends and loved ones through their difficult journeys. Often times, pushing and pulling actions like these leave us feeling useful, nurtured or nurturing. They might leave us tired, but, in a funny way, content.

So, I guess my point is that life can be viewed as a series of pushing and pulling activities. Just push and pull wisely.