small cracks

Nature moves inexoribly; it has eternity to overcome the hard with it’s soft ways. Abrasive wind; washing water; creeping roots.

If we want to create great things, we must start with the small things.

To care for something means to watch for the small things, the small changes.

The Tao Te Ching¹ (verse 64) says:

“It is easy to mold what is not yet formed.
It is easy to shtter what is still fragile.
It is easy to scatter
what is yet light and small.
Therefore, act now rather than wait.”

The verse goes on to warn against interference, for all action must be in harmony with Tao.

If your houseplant is wilting, check to see if it is over or under watered, or if it now needs a stake to support it. Wait until tomorrow and you may find a rotting, withered, or broken tragedy.

Repairing or replacing the seat of a chair as soon as you notice it’s split is less a chore than caring for your bruised Aunty and the apologies she deserves when the seat fails.

Securing a loose thread by needlecraft or knotting is a simple task, saving embarassment and the loss of a garment in the weeks ahead.

As the verse² says:

“Order should be secured before disorder has begun.”

Image credit: Jim Liestman

¹Version: Ralph Alan Dale

²Version: James Legge