Value for Friday of Week 13 in the season of Sowing

Resilience

By nature, humans are resilient. This is a great asset in every season.

  • When fear rushed in, I learned how to hear my heart racing but refused to allow my feelings to sway me. That resilience came from my family. It flowed through our bloodline. [attributed to Coretta Scott King]
  • I think there are things that we can all do to build resilience in ourselves, but also to build resilience in each other. [Sheryl Sandberg]
  • To be a black person is to come from a long bloodline of survivors and storytellers, with a resilience that people can’t even comprehend. [attributed to Lena Waithe]

Resilience can be defined as the process of adapting well and even growing in the face of adversity, stress, or trauma . . . There are various life events that require resilience to overcome, such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, workplace and financial stressors, and loss of loved ones.” Per the American Psychological Association: “Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.

Resilience can be taught, trained, and enhanced.

Resilience is studied from both psychological and neurobiological perspectives. Studies have focused on early adolescents, adult university students, and the old. Studies were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and afterward; on families, juveniles coping with stress, transgender and gender non-binary individuals, children and young adults with refugee backgrounds, patients in intensive care units, in people with cancer, acne vulgaris patients, and forced migrantsPhysical activity appears to enhance resilience. “Pre-pandemic resilience was associated with lower distress and higher well-being early in the COVID-19 pandemic.” Community resilience has been studied “in public health emergency and disaster response”.

Humans have an innate capacity to keep their hopes and dreams alive. We can bounce back from adversity, and continue to bounce back long after we felt or thought we had reached our limit. That capacity is called resilience.

Real

True Narratives

My temporary loss of smell proved to me, too, that the absence of a sense need not dull the mental faculties and does not distort one's view of the world, and so I reason that blindness and deafness need not pervert the inner order of the intellect. I know that if there were no odours for me I should still possess a considerable part of the world. Novelties and surprises would abound, adventures would thicken in the dark. [Helen Keller, The World I Live In (1907), chapter VII, “Relative Value of the Senses”.]

Other narratives:

Technical and Analytical Readings

Resilience for individuals:

Resilience in and for communities:

Resilience in and for individuals and communities:

Photographs

Documentary and Educational Films

Imaginary

Fictional Narratives

. . . on the day when his grandfather had turned him out of doors, (Marius) had been only a child, now he was a man. He felt it. Misery, we repeat, had been good for him. Poverty in youth, when it succeeds, has this magnificent property about it, that it turns the whole will towards effort, and the whole soul towards aspiration. Poverty instantly lays material life bare and renders it hideous; hence inexpressible bounds towards the ideal life. The wealthy young man has a hundred coarse and brilliant distractions, horse races, hunting, dogs, tobacco, gaming, good repasts, and all the rest of it; occupations for the baser side of the soul, at the expense of the loftier and more delicate sides. The poor young man wins his bread with difficulty; he eats; when he has eaten, he has nothing more but meditation. He goes to the spectacles which God furnishes gratis; he gazes at the sky, space, the stars, flowers, children, the humanity among which he is suffering, the creation amid which he beams. He gazes so much on humanity that he perceives its soul, he gazes upon creation to such an extent that he beholds God. He dreams, he feels himself great; he dreams on, and feels himself tender. From the egotism of the man who suffers he passes to the compassion of the man who meditates. An admirable sentiment breaks forth in him, forgetfulness of self and pity for all. As he thinks of the innumerable enjoyments which nature offers, gives, and lavishes to souls which stand open, and refuses to souls that are closed, he comes to pity, he the millionnaire of the mind, the millionnaire of money. All hatred departs from his heart, in proportion as light penetrates his spirit. And is he unhappy? No. The misery of a young man is never miserable. The first young lad who comes to hand, however poor he may be, with his strength, his health, his rapid walk, his brilliant eyes, his warmly circulating blood, his black hair, his red lips, his white teeth, his pure breath, will always arouse the envy of an aged emperor. And then, every morning, he sets himself afresh to the task of earning his bread; and while his hands earn his bread, his dorsal column gains pride, his brain gathers ideas. His task finished, he returns to ineffable ecstasies, to contemplation, to joys; he beholds his feet set in afflictions, in obstacles, on the pavement, in the nettles, sometimes in the mire; his head in the light. He is firm, serene, gentle, peaceful, attentive, serious, content with little, kindly; and he thanks God for having bestowed on him those two forms of riches which many a rich man lacks: work, which makes him free; and thought, which makes him dignified. [Victor Hugo, Les Miserables (1862), Volume III – Marius; Book Fifth – The Excellence of Misfortune, Chapter III, “Marius Grown Up.”]

Other narratives:

Poetry

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

[Maya Angelou, “Still I Rise”]

 

Other poems:

 

From the dark side:

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Many musicologists might look askance at the placement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor (1902) (approx. 71-77’) within the broad category of hope and optimism. Its first three movements evoke fate, oppression and human suffering, and its fourth movement is often performed as a funeral march; a study of Mahler’s life reveals that he did not so intend it. He wrote it as a romantic ode to his beloved wife Alma. “It was in Vienna the winter prior to beginning the Fifth Symphony that Mahler met Alma Schindler, the beautiful daughter of a famous landscape painter. Mahler proposed to her in the fall of 1901, and the symphony, with its trajectory from mourning to triumph, reflects this development in its composer’s personal life.” “On 24 February 1901, the onset of severe hematochezia caused Gustav Mahler to lose a significant amount of blood. Recovery from this incident required two operations (the second intended to prevent a relapse), as well as several weeks of hospice care at a sanitarium. The seriousness of the hemorrhage—which the composer described on the following morning as a near-death experience—deeply impacted his psyche, and the concept of human mortality consequently surfaced in the music Mahler wrote over the next few months.” “With the Fifth Symphony, Mahler frankly admitted that he started over again . . . The Fifth Symphony . . . presents a life crisis in the abstract, explores its manifestations, and then overcomes its tragic nature through a courageous struggle with its most destructive aspects.” Under many conductors, the Adagietto clocks in at ten or eleven minutes, or as long as fourteen minutes. Mahler conducted it in nine minutes, utilizing tempi that express the idea of love, not death. That emergence from suffering is my reason for categorizing this symphony as music of resilience. Great performances: are conducted by Walter in 1947, Kubelik in 1951, Schwarz in 1958, Barbirolli in 1968, Levine in 1978, Karajan in 1978, Bernstein in 1987, Boulez in 1996, Barshai in 1999, Rattle in 2000, Zander in 2001, Gielen in 2003, and Gergiev in 2010.

  1. Trauermasrch (In gemessenem Schritt – Streng – Wie ein Kondukt): The opening trumpet sounds ominously, and is soon joined by the orchestra, which moves before long into a funeral march in a minor key. These interplaying motives are repeated and explored at length. Many sections conclude with passages of hopelessness and despair.
  2. Stürmisch bewegt, mit grosser Vehemenz: More ominous tones open this movement, this time from the entire orchestra. The vehemence calms, and voice in the woodwinds mock us in our angst. Soon, voices in the strings join in the mocking. These ideas are explored throughout the remainder of the movement, with an occasional reminder of childhood or youth adding pathos to anxiety. Rays of hope and even triumph are quickly extinguished. The movement concludes with the motives of mocking and despair.
  3. Scherzo (Kraftig, nicht zu schell): The dance of life is twisted into the bizarre scherzo form, suggesting that lasting wounds that life leaves on us. As the movement proceeds, we have the sense that the protagonist has grown weary, as life’s daily struggles continue in this lengthiest of the symphony’s movements. The movement concludes with a few energetic bars that suggest something more may be coming.
  4. Adagietto (Sehr langsam): And sure enough, here is the love theme. Despite the anxiety, pain and struggle, which persist throughout our lives, the human spirit endures. Like love, which need not and perhaps cannot be explained, the development of this theme of love speaks for itself throughout this movement.
  5. Rondo - Finale (Allegro): This final movement opens with themes that evoke new beginnings: springtime and childhood perhaps. Has love seen us through dark days into the light? This newly optimistic tone persists throughout the remainder of the work.

Of his Symphony No. 4, Op. 29, FS 76, CNW 28, “The Inextinguishable” (1916) (approx. 33-41’), composer Carl Nielsen wrote: “I have an idea for a new composition, which has no programme but will express what we understand by the spirit of life or manifestations of life . . .” “The title is not a program but a pointer to the proper domain of music. It is meant to express the appearance of the most elementary forces among human beings, animals and even plants. We can say: in case all the world were to be devastated by fire, flood, volcanoes, etc. and all things were destroyed and dead, then nature would still begin to breed new life again . . . Soon the plants would begin to multiply, the breeding and screaming of birds would be seen and heard, the aspiration and yearning of human beings would be felt. These forces, which are ‘inextinguishable,’ are what I have tried to present.” Grøndahl in the 1950s, Jensen in 1952, Schmidt in 1974, Karajan in 1981, Blomstedt in 1988, Vänskä in 2002Davis in 2015, Dausgaard in 2017, and Luisi in 2022 conducted top audio-recorded performances. Paavo Järvi in 2013, Mena in 2013, and Elder in 2016 conducted video-recorded performances.

Other compositions:

Béla Fleck’s primary instrument, the banjo, makes bluegrass music a natural fit for him. He recorded two albums, “Drive” (1987) (48’) and “Bluegrass Sessions” (1999) (76’) before deciding in 2019 that he wished to record a third. Fleck explains that the illness of one of his band members caused him concerns about the project: “. . . Tony Rice was the only guitarist I had met who could make it possible for me to play bluegrass in the way I wanted to.” Then he started working with other performers, and found that he could do it after all. “My Bluegrass Heart” (2021) (106’) followed from those efforts.

Blues music illustrates resilience, including notably these artists:

Albums:

Music: songs and other short pieces

Visual Arts

Film and Stage

This Is Our Story

A religion of values and Ethics, driven by love and compassion, informed by science and reason.

PART ONE: OUR STORY

First ingredient: Distinctions. What is the core and essence of being human? What is contentment, or kindliness, or Love? What is gentleness, or service, or enthusiasm, or courage? If you follow the links, you see at a glance what these concepts mean.

PART TWO: ANALYSIS

This site would be incomplete without an analytical framework. After you have digested a few of the examples, feel free to explore the ideas behind the model. I would be remiss if I did not give credit to my inspiration for this work: the Human Faith Project of Calvin Chatlos, M.D. His demonstration of a model for Human Faith began my exploration of this subject matter.

A RELIGION OF VALUES

A baby first begins to learn about the world by experiencing it. A room may be warm or cool. The baby learns that distinction. As a toddler, the child may strike her head with a rag doll, and see that it is soft; then strike her head with a wooden block, and see that it is hard. Love is a distinction: she loves me, or she doesn’t love me. This is true of every human value:

justice, humility, wisdom, courage . . . every single one of them.

This site is dedicated to exploring those distinctions. It is based on a model of values that you can read about on the “About” page. However, the best way to learn about what is in here is the same as the baby’s way of learning about the world: open the pages, and see what happens.

ants organic action machines

Octavio Ocampo, Forever Always

Jacek Yerka, House over the Waterfall

Norman Rockwell, Carefree Days Ahead

WHAT YOU WILL SEE HERE

When you open tiostest.wpengine.com, you will see a human value identified at the top of the page. The value changes daily. These values are designed to follow the seasons of the year.

You will also see an overview of the value, or subject for the day, and then two columns of materials.

The left-side column presents true narratives, which include biographies, memoirs, histories, documentary films and the like; and also technical and analytical writings.

The right-side columns presents the work of the human imagination: fictional novels and stories, music, visual art, poetry and fictional film.

Each entry is presented to help identify the value. Open some of the links and experience our human story, again. It belongs to us all, and each of us is a part of it.

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The Work on the Meditations