“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.” Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
“It is possible to know something without knowing all of it; or to hear something and wish to hear more; or to learn something but not fully understand it: imagine then one’s gratitude when someone comes along and fills in all the missing pieces.” S.Y. Agnon, A Simple Story
Musings
What have you seen out of the corner of your eye, that was a glimpse of your shy soul?
Who arrived in your life with a missing piece? Were they early, precisely on time or desperately late?
My earliest memories of 'a glimpse of my shy soul' were in Quaker meeting as a child. I imagine my 'shy soul' was nestled between the collective silence, the exhaustive exhalations, the sighs and our fidgetiness waiting for the meeting to come to a close with a handshake. And as soon as meeting was over, I secretly wanted it to begin again. This is a reoccurring theme in this chapter of my life--begin again.
An interesting question.
A glimpse of my shy soul is probably more linked with the possibilities I see for the Future.
As for people who complete me, I'd have to include the Crows who have a knack of saying the right thing at the right time. How lucky am I ...