Huh.

I wonder sometimes if most nearly anything we would label as a negative reaction or emotion or response (e.g., anger, violence, depression, fear, withdrawal, etc.) is essentially connected to an unending sense/search for love and acceptance.

Is it possible "ugly" behavior is ultimately rooted in a perceived lack of acceptance? If one were to seek the primary emotion below the secondary reactions rooted in defensiveness or offensiveness (i.e., the feeling one must take the offensive in order to avoid being hurt, damaged, etc.), would it somehow exist as a foundational need that is simultaneously emotional and spiritual... something that transcends physical or intellectual yearnings. Something basic, primal, but ultimately human... a search for connection, for belonging, for meaning.

I believe the struggle to feel valued, above all, may inherently be present for all of us. This may segue into attachment theory and the Adlerian concept of social interest. But I also think there is something deeply embedded within the source of our living - be it a soul, or a spark, or a breath.

For who does not wish to be seen? And upon being seen to be understood... and upon being understood to be welcomed? If we all believed, without question, we held value and worth, as did everyone around us... how might that change our interactions?

Perhaps compassion is the act of embracing such a belief and holding onto it with unshakable faith.

Ode to Bach

Unfortunately, it's too late in the day to tackle a literal ode; however, you may consider this a metaphorical one and (hopefully) forgive my tiredness and lack of creative spark as bedtime quickly approaches.

Bach seems to me inherently and unarguably connected to the divine. His music is transportational... transcendent. I don't know what he was channeling or how... but, for me, it's like the chords of my soul are struck by the complexity and beauty of his music to create a harmonious vibrational frequency so that I may resonate with every single molecule and atom around me and ultimately feel one with everything.

Which is one way in which I understand God.

Another way is through connection to others. Adler would call it social interest. A Buddhist might think of it as compassion. I see it as a kind of commitment to strive toward seeing (feeling, knowing) the intrinsic worth of my fellow human beings in order to provide (and ask for) help with openness and kindness and without fear or judgment.

My take is: Social interest and compassion are linked to purposefulness and meaning, which are linked to centeredness and peace, which are connected to enlightenment and the divine, which links back to social interest and compassion... and on and on. One might even say they are interconnected, because - let's face it - linearity in this world is rare and truth tends to be woven into a more holistic and systemic pattern when you look at it from far enough away.

Bach is my ticket to a bird's eye view from which, for a few precious moments, I can see the intricate webbing of my singular life and begin to appreciate the multiple connections binding me to an infinite and interconnected world.