The Hand of God

Twenty-five years ago this evening, Herself and her Beloved went on their first date.  (We have recounted the story of The Beginning before, here.)  She and he were discussing the date, and the subsequent twenty-five years, this morning.  He mused about their very different backgrounds, and commented that the establishment of a relationship between the two of them seemed almost random.

ran·dom [ran-duhm]
adjective  1.  proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern: the random selection of numbers.

No. Not random.

Herself is not a firm believer in a Higher Power, an overarching scheme, or some kind of Cosmic Life Force.  Nevertheless, there have been rare occasions when she has had the sensation that a person or a place is one of tremendous (though enigmatic) importance:  a feeling as if all of the pieces of the Universe purposefully aligned in such a way so as to make an event -- such as a meeting of a particular person, the formation of a relationship -- come to pass.  A poet might call it the hand of God.

What is the Reason in the Universe for Herself's relationship with her Beloved?

Perhaps, for example, their relationship has been necessary in order to produce the Offspring in their unique forms at their unique times. Perhaps one of the Offspring -- or even perhaps one of the Offspring's future Offspring -- will be instrumental in another person's life. Or a world event.  Or neither - perhaps they will quietly, in their own beautiful ways, make their corners of the world a better place.  

Or on a more mundane level, perhaps their relationship is necessary in order for Herself to learn certain lessons:  how to be patient, how to be forgiving, how to see the world from a different point of view.  How to understand herself and what she wants and needs.  How to be the kind of person she wants to be.

Their relationship has been the vital skeleton upon which she has fleshed out her adulthood, and she is thankful for this foundation.    It has made it possible for her to learn and to rise to her challenges.  She has needed to meet certain other people, overcome particular obstacles, and put the puzzle pieces of her Life together.  Like Harry Potter, she must come to understand that not every monster is truly monstrous; she must come to know the true value of magic and house elves, of children's stories and wandlore and the power of words; she must learn to cherish a friend and be grateful for their unbreakable bonds of friendship; and ultimately, she must conquer her fear of death.  As must he, as well.

Many of these things they will learn together.  Some of them, too, each will learn alone, like parallel lines, or twin trees. As it should be.

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. 
You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness, 

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow. 

- Kahlil Gibran

Perhaps, at the end of Time, they will learn why the hand of God placed them together.