Saturday, November 24, 2012

Gratitude Day #23

Grateful for a day to do the bulletin and clean up the Thanksgiving, and eat leftovers, and survive Unity's championship football game. 
(They lost to Aurora Christian, which I didn't mind too much until I was walking through the parking lots on the way back to my car and saw a car all painted up with "Christ is Coming Soon. Let's get this one for Him!  Go Eagles!"  Then I was really sorry Unity didn't stomp some Eagle butt.)
Back to grateful:  Glad for warm clothes and a tiny bit of stamina for the cold.  Glad Caleb didn't freeze to death in his band uniform.  I'm glad it was cold enough he let me buy him hot chocolate and cheese fries.  I'm grateful that Tim's meeting in Edwardsville went well and that he made it back safely.
 
And I'm grateful to have found this quote, which I will forget if I don't post it somewhere:

Conflict is, to choose a simile, like sex. Victorians saw sex as something one must tolerate, learn to live with, but not enjoy. Most persons voice the same negative mindset toward conflict. Like sex, conflict should happen between persons committed to be present with continuity, occur with appropriate frequency, be mutually exciting to both, activate both parties equally to contribute their best selves, and be prolonged until mutually satisfactory climax is possible for each. When it is over, both should feel better as a result. And its energy should then empower other areas of life with vitality and creativity. Like sex, conflict is a source of joy, fulfillment, empowerment, and celebration.

David W. Augsburger. Conflict Mediation Across Cultures: Pathways and Patterns. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992, pp. 66-67.

No comments: