Dear TSJ Friends,
Since I didn’t get this letter out on time yesterday … it is simply a Margie Musing instead of Wednesday Wisdom and mostly light – hearted. Remember to click on the green header for easier reading!
Can you believe we are entering another school year already? Many of you are teachers and most all of us are parents and grandparents.
Solomon and I want to wish you many joyful surprises this school year as you love and serve children everyday!
Speaking of children . . . today is a celebration for Tom (in heaven) and me still here on earth. Our shared grandchildren were born sixteen years ago today! Boy and girl twins began to grace this world with their unique gifts and personalities. They have certainly brought joy to us. We fondly call them “the twins.” I am proud to be their “grammy” (step-grandmother)! And of course John has embraced them lovingly as I have his “grands.”
I also remember a dear TSJ friend who celebrates a birthday today! What a privilege we humans have to fill our lives with love, purpose and hope. So many of you here at TSJ have filled my soul through the years.
APPRECIATING THREES
Speaking of love, purpose and hope… this is what today’s musing centers on; appreciating things in threes.
My confession this week is that I have a fondness for the number three! This has been true for years, but I never gave it a lot of thought until just recently.
Have you ever noticed that you remember things in threes most easily? “
After reading this, you may have fun noticing how many ideas, personal and spiritual events that change us, and points to remember are more memorable in threes.
A couple of simple examples, The first three digits of our phone numbers . . . or . . . the sign on a railroad crossing: “stop, look & listen” . . . or . . . you have “three guesses . . . ” or. . . “three strikes and you are out.”
Lately I have noticed that our major world events are three: the pandemic, climate change and “ending” the Afghan war.
A DREAM ABOUT THINGS IN THREES
A couple of weeks ago I actually had a dream about the importance of three. It seemed to suggest there is spiritual significance for me and triggered new curiosity about its possible significance in general.
I assume it is because of having recently pondered the theological belief of the trinity (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). I also had read with John the story about Daniel and “the handwriting on the wall” in the old testament. A great story about dreams and their meanings and God’s faithfulness. But I am neither a theologian nor versed in numerology so this post is simply a story about what I am experiencing.
One can never be sure of what triggers our dreams and how much credence to give the dream. But one thing always worth noting for personal growth is how you felt in the dream or upon awakening. And this time I had a true sense of excitement and curiosity as I awakened. So that much was good, if nothing more!
And I walked into my office for morning quiet time and chuckled.
There on the futon sits Solomon, Solomon Junior (SJ) and Sigmund (my muses for Wisdom, Wonder (SJ) and Psychology (Sigmund) ). I was amused. This threesome has been around for ten or more years now! And now I am recognizing the value of three! I also pondered the popularity of trilogies. Hmm.
MY DREAM AND A WALK
To further pique my interest and inspire me, I “happened” to go for a walk with my daughter the morning of my dream about the significance of three. We were walking along a Canal path when she brought up something about the number three and its significance for her right now.
Whoa! “What did you just say?” I asked. I was stunned. She was curious about my reaction. I Stopped in my tracks and told her about waking up pondering the power of three.
It was a goose bump moment . A surprise and a sweet connection. You should have heard us chat like excited school girls on a playground after that. Talk about a shared journey experience to cherish. (She is the mother of the twins and heart of my hearts.) We have “grown up together” after her dad (Tom) and I met when she was eleven. We have laughed together, disagreed together and grieved together. We celebrate life together and learn together. Though we do not see each other as often as this might sound. But I digress….
Anyhow, since she is the scholarly one, (she just finished her doctorate a few months ago) I will leave it to her to learn what she needs to learn about threes.
However, I grew curious enough to do a quick Google search to see if there is anything about the number three that might explain my own recent inspiration. I had already learned in psychology that the brain thinks in patterns and groups of three is a memory aid.
Solomon was pleased when I learned that Pythagoras (ancient Greek philosopher) had some kind of a theory that #3 is a symbol for “harmony, wisdom and understanding!”
Yes, those three things! So that is all I really need to know right now because it aligns with Solomon’s desires for us and the calling of my own soul as I write and commune with TSJ members as well as others who come into our lives.
That being said, here are things I have experienced since my “dream about threes” day:
THREE THINGS WE HUMANS NEED:
I was talking with a niece at a family wedding recently about some of the sadness that is rampant these days regarding world issues such as the plight of the Afghan people, and our own country with fires, floods, hot temperatures, loss of electricity and drinking water and pandemic challenges. We were pondering the feeling of hopelessness that many people must be struggling with. And she mentioned that she had heard a quote on a Today Show that Hoda had shared. The quote was that we humans have three universal needs in order to survive.
The three things we all absolutely need to survive even in the most adverse of circumstances are:
!. Someone or something to love
2. Something to do
3. Something to look forward to
Wow; how true that is!
I have been re-reading Victor Frankl’s book: Man’s Search For Meaning. ( if I could be so bold ~ I would recommend this book for all of us.) It is his account of the holocaust as a doctor (psychiatrist) and is of course filled with terrible suffering but manages to be inspiring. He also talks about those very three things are exactly whatt kept some of them alive.
And he charts the journey through horrific suffering as taking place in three stages: shock, apathy (after starving and being tortured daily in concentration camp) and upon release . . . the final stage of “depersonalization”– a period when nothing good seems real or can be absorbed or trusted.
But it was those same three things mentioned above that made the difference between life and death for those in the camps. He emphasized # 3 as the final determinant for many to keep from suicide or giving up.
Interestingly, the part that had grabbed my heart and soul when my niece told me about these three things was #3: “something to look forward to.” And then Frankl underscored that as important. Again, it triggered some of my childhood trauma memories. As a child during some difficult years, one of my strategies for happiness was constantly trying to find something to look forward to. Small things. But gave my soul space enough to breathe in God. Or if I had to do a long and difficult task I was always planning some sort of self reward. As my sister grew older, she helped me a lot and we have fond memories of “something to look forward to” plans we made together that brought precious moments and life long memories we cherish.
For both parents and teachers I do want to make a note that I see these three things as part of building resilience in children. For those of you who are working with kids who are likely experiencing or have experienced trauma these three things are worth focusing on. Their hearts and hopes need sheltering for them to be resilient.
So this morning when I sat for my own quiet time, the devotional I read was divided into three points to ponder about prayer. Looks like threes are everywhere!
Hope you are having a good day whenever you read this! And that you are smiling.
Happy celebration of the power of three to help us walk in harmony, wisdom and understanding.
Love,
Margie and Solomon
(We hope you enjoyed this!)