Wisdom of the Terrapin

I was delighted to watch the video “Kung Fu Panda” tonight with my boys. I was especially drawn to the character Oogway, the turtle. He was the master of the jade temple where the martial arts associated with Kung Fu were taught. His display of common sense and spirituality intrigues me. I especially liked his approach to the events in our lives we call accidents. To Oogway, there is no such thing as an accident; all things happen for a reason and a purpose. He also implies that it makes no sense to try and exercise our will or power over people because we have a need to be in control.
Every person chooses a path just as nature takes its course. We can no more choose another’s direction in life than we can tell a tree when to bloom or bare fruit. All we can do is patiently bide our time and wait for things to happen naturally. What we can do is believe in something greater than ourselves and in ourselves. This is the crux of the story; to know ourselves and to use that knowledge to learn and grow. This is where the character Master Shifu comes into play. From his talks with master Oogway, Shifu learns that just because we are not like other people, does not mean we cannot develop our own abilities to become better people. Our particular style or talents are specially adapted to who we are as individuals. Our size and shape are unique to each of us and we must use what we have to our advantage. Just as Po is taught to use a particular motivation to better himself, we can find what motivates us and use it also.
What struck me also about the story was how beautifully Oogway departs his final scene with Master Shifu in a flurry of peach blossoms. I find it comforting to realize we do not always have the answers in life, but we can believe in ourselves and in others to an extent that we can let go and let God and not worry about the outcome. We must trust in our faith and all else will simply fall into place.
This will be my challenge this year; to not let others control my attitudes or beliefs about my abilities, rather, to go with what I know is true about myself and strive to be the best I can be. For me, writing has become a passion in life and I just have to stick with it until the fruit comes to bare. One goal I have is to finally get something published. Whether it is a poem, essay or short story, it makes no matter as long as some confirming evidence exists to keep me going on the path I have chosen. I hope and pray you can do the same in the New Year. May the wisdom of the terrapin be with you and may the grace of God guide your journey!