Keystone

The Romans were innovators in many areas of life.  But, one of the main areas was their architecture.  The arch in particular allowed them to save  materials and maintain strength for building above the arch.  The way the Romans would build the arch would be to build the arch from wood first, then surround the wood frame with brick.  The last stone to be put in place would be the stone in the middle of the top of the arch.  That stone was called the keystone.  When the keystone was put in place, the weight that would be built above it would be distributed evenly down the two sides of the arch.

Events happen to us all the time.  Somehow we distribute the weight of the event evenly throughout our way of thinking.  Accomplishments are great and we react with pride, but our experience tells us that there is a downside to every accomplishment.  So, the weight of the accomplishment is evenly distributed and we can appreciate the moment without thinking too highly of ourselves.  The opposite is true, too.  When devastation comes, we know that soon events will turn around.  We just have to ride out the storm.  So, the weight of the devastation is evenly distributed and we are not thrown into a spiral of depression.

And, what is the keystone in our lives that helps in distributing those events evenly?  The arch containing the keystone is usually a person who is in the center of our activity.  As we build life above us, this person bears the weight with us and puts it in proper perspective for us, letting us know how to respond, or what the downside is, or reminding us of the good times or benefits we will receive at a future time.  I am so proud to have had a person like this who made me a much better person.  When I have no keystone in my arch of events, I am not nearly as good or nearly as happy.  No one is there to even things out. I am keeping faith that I will return to being the best person I can be soon, that the keystone of my future arches won't be cracked or missing.