KOAN
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines a koan as follows:
koan |ˈkōˌän|
noun
a paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment.
A famous koan is, "What's the sound of one hand clapping?"
Raising special needs children is a koan, too, applying logical reasoning to any aspect of them is an exercise in futility. I have often said Rojo is consistently inconsistent and predictably unpredictable. A koan.
And although I'm nowhere near enlightened, I am also nowhere near where I was nearly fourteen years ago - back when I had all the answers. Nowhere near.
So, I'm somewhere along the circuitous, arduous, exhausting, thrilling, worth-every-minute, soul-changing path.
And for me, that's the sound of one hand clapping.
* Photo from www.lofa.org
Oh, I love what you did. You are wonderful --
ReplyDeleteGREAT post! Love the analogies!
ReplyDeleteLindsey Petersen
"applying logical reasoning to any aspect of them is an exercise in futility,"
ReplyDeleteI hear that.
at least "our logic."
ReplyDeleteLove.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what a child with special needs can teach those of us without special needs, although to be honest, I think we all have special needs.
ReplyDeleteThey are a hard gift, our children.
Both my hands are clapping for this post.
ReplyDeleteYou are my human.
Perfect and profound. The less you know and the more you know you don't know, the wiser you are.
ReplyDeleteI love this.
ReplyDelete:)
I love this post. The koans make perfect sense now!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I long for those days when I thought I knew everything. I was so sure of it and the self-doubt was nonexistent.
ReplyDeleteLove.
That was a perfectly circular and lyrical piece!
ReplyDelete