Feb. 22, 2011 Tuesday: Closeness and Distance
The Balance Between Closeness and Distance
Intimacy between people requires closeness as well as
distance. It is like dancing. Sometimes we are very close,
touching each other or holding each other; sometimes we move
away from each other and let the space between us become an
area where we can freely move.
To keep the right balance between closeness and distance
requires hard work, especially since the needs of the
partners may be quite different at a given moment. One might
desire closeness while the other wants distance. One might
want to be held while the other looks for independence. A
perfect balance seldom occurs, but the honest and open
search for that balance can give birth to a beautiful dance,
worthy to behold.
-Henri Nouwen
distance. It is like dancing. Sometimes we are very close,
touching each other or holding each other; sometimes we move
away from each other and let the space between us become an
area where we can freely move.
To keep the right balance between closeness and distance
requires hard work, especially since the needs of the
partners may be quite different at a given moment. One might
desire closeness while the other wants distance. One might
want to be held while the other looks for independence. A
perfect balance seldom occurs, but the honest and open
search for that balance can give birth to a beautiful dance,
worthy to behold.
-Henri Nouwen
