Over the last few years I've come to learn a great deal about Asian cultures and especially the stories of the Gods. One particular thread has occupied a lot of my mind...
In Taiwan, there are literally tons of temples dedicated to Matsu, the Goddess of the Sea, one of which is also home to "the Old Man Under the Moon," a Taoist god who functions somewhat like Cupid. Single people who are looking for a spouse come here to pray to this god. After praying, the supplicant removes a single red thread from around the god's arm, wraps the thread up in a small piece of red paper, and carries it in his or her pocket every day. In a short time, Pi says, these people will get married.
In other Asian countries, the Red String of Fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate (and by other variants) is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend. According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of men and women who are destined to be soul mates and will one day marry each other. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red thread" is believed to be Yuelao, the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge of marriages.
What is it about the moon, about love, such that Lunar Gods appear all throughout mythology, that old adage of looking for the man in the moon, could it be a spin on this Lunar God, looking for the man who rules Love's Fate? I contemplated this deeply last night as I flew from Charlotte to home, the moon breathtaking from my seat on the plane high above the night clouds, that moment was magical.
I was travelling on business and as is usually the case the time away gives a great deal of latitude and freedom to let my mind become fulfilled with deeper thoughts than are possible in the fray and madness that can be daily life, if we let it consume us that way, the routines, the structure, the expectations... I began to think more deeply about connections, about love, about life, thinking about my life and the lives of others. My friend Lisa in China today having met her daughter last night, their story to becoming a family is just as unique and blessed as the deepest of Red Thread soulmate connections. Had she opened one door instead of the others, what would her fate have been? Would it really have been different? I can't imagine she wouldn't have wound up exactly where she is today, a day that couldn't be any better, any fuller, any richer, the day she meets her daughter Emme. When I think of the greatness of another person's life events I sometimes drift back to my own, thinking about my own experiences, the people who share my hopes and dreams, the wonder that can simply be this journey of life.
I've been thinking about how time weaves a very interesting story, those threads, those connections, the intricate dance of life. I fully believe that there are people in your life you meet when you are ready, and no sooner. The reasons are clear, had you met sooner the impact of you on them, of them on you and of each other on the US of who you are together would be lessened, so much so that your connection may never have occurred at all. Though it can be all too easy to think of the hands of time as both your friend and your enemy when you feel like you've waited forever for that special connection. What I mean to say is that it's easy to wonder why you may not have met your special person sooner, why so much later in life they showed up on your doorstep with the key to you heart, perhaps you even narrowly viewed it as the wrong time or the wrong place and nearly passed it by.
Keep in mind though, that even if the time and place are not ideal, the key to your heart is really what matters most. In the end if you believe in the Red Thread of Fate, perhaps time is your closest ally, delaying bringing the person who holds the other end of your Red Thread (tied to the key to your heart) to you until you can see them, fully. They show just when the stars align and shine with a whole new strength and meaning and that had this happened sooner you may not have been ready to receive their key.
Could there be something to the stories passed down from generation to generation, dynasty to dynasty, tribe to tribe? For those who say it's ridiculous, I say why couldn't there be truth to some of these myths and legends? What's really wrong with believing in something so deep, so powerful, so fulfilling?
There will always be a deep part of me that believes no matter the doors you open in your life, there are some paths that will always lead you home, that will always lead you to the love you deserve and the love that deserves you, like the compass of Love's Fate.
And so I leave you with the saying and the thought that perhaps, beyond all sense of time and reason, there is more to this Red Thread, and maybe, just maybe there's a bit of the magic of the heavens at work out there for US. Lastly, this fabric of life that we all cling precariously to at times, sometimes taking for granted far too much, well, it's made up of lots of threads but if you are open to chance, if your heart is willing, and if you believe, your Red Thread will some day beam through the fabric to the surface.
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
but it will never break."
- an ancient Chinese belief
No comments:
Post a Comment