Eggs

I was recently talking to a friend struggling with relationship issues, and I began to ponder the importance of relationships in our lives, and how much they resemble eggs.

Yes I did say eggs. Apart from the obvious "good egg" and "bad egg" idea, the very nature of eggs lends them to this soliloquy. Eggs are fragile in some respects, but extremely strong in others...it all depends on the approach taken toward the egg! If you were to bang it on it's head or bottom it would survive intact...however if you were to tap it firmly on it's side WHOOSH! It's all over with, and there's yolk everywhere. Everyone (inclusive of the egg) has their weak spot...that area of vulnerability that we try to keep secret in order to protect ourselves....and yet in the process of a relationship, being vulnerable is part of the package....it's a decision of how vulnerable, and how soon to allow ourselves the danger of the consequences of vulnerability.

To be brief...you gotta be careful who you allow around the middle!

Once the middle has been revealed it's a whole other ball game or egg toss!

The "bad" eggs stink right away, and you know they're bad, you know that you'll get sick if you eat it......BUT>>>>some of us EAT IT ANYWAY! Over and over again we eat it....we keep hoping it's gonna taste better....but deep down we know...it's a bad egg...they don't get better...and no amount of "wishing" it was a good egg is going to change that!The longer you try...the sicker you get!!!!

Then there's the raw egg...it's still strong on top, but once you get past the cracking it's all gooey inside....there's slimy stuff, and lumpy stuff, and the big bulbous orange orb....it's like it doesn't really know what it is yet! You might try to play with it....give it a chance to get to know you but then.....it just s l i p s through your fingers and falls all spread out and mushy....you may try to pick it back up but it keeps sliding around...even with support, like a paper towel, you really have to work hard to clean him up. Wow....I'm exhausted!!!!! These eggs are just not mature enough to understand themselves yet. And no matter how hard we in our maturity, might want to help the egg realize his true potential....we can't...he's raw... he'll even blame you later for trying to control him...he's simply too much work!!!

So here we are at ....you knew it was coming...the hard boiled egg! Solid...you can even batter it's outer shell and still...as you penetrate the inside it is ...SOLID....HARD...INFLEXIBLE. A hard boiled egg ...was...is...and will always be ...a hard boiled egg!!! You cannot reshape it...you cannot do anything with it...it is NOT in transition...unless you yourself are hardboiled you will never find happiness with this egg. The best you can hope for is that when it all falls apart you can make egg salad sandwiches with him...but be very careful...he spoils quickly!

Now we are left with soft boiled...yup...good old softy...strong on top and bottom, but when you get past the crack in the middle you have a lovely white smoothness that flexes to the touch. You can play with it...tapping off the harder shell, and bouncing your spoon off the albumen...just you and your egg....bouncing! You can push your favourite small vegetable into it and make a smiley face...you can go further....digging to the depths of it's vulnerability and find silky yellow softness which will welcome and warm you. You can use the shell as a little bowl and mix the yolk and albumin up before you dip your toast soldier in...or not. You can choose just to eat the yolk, and leave the albumin untouched...just think of all the possibilities...they are endless...that is what you want....flexibility with strength...the protection of a shell with the enticement of a soft warm inside...the ability to consider, together, whether a few more seconds in the hot water might be needed...It's open...honest...real....everything a good egg should be...so next time you're "shopping for eggs" ...consider these words and....remember what Grandma always said...don't put all your eggs in one basket!