The Divine in life or just an illusion?

The visit overseas had been rushed but, somehow, there was the most spare time in the airport departure lounge – beyond immigration. Perhaps, a positive from all the anti-terrorism measures is the onset of enforced early arrival at airports.

Obsessive shoppers will never have enough time to spend on the activity but, for others, there is more time to reflect on purchases than in the normal rush from one place to another. Such was the case in this instance.

Life at home was not good. The promise of eternal happiness in matrimony had evaporated pretty much on the first day after the wedding. The descent from the peak of such lofty dreams had taken almost twenty years. Perhaps it was a basic incompatibility; maybe growing mistrust. One party though certainly wanted to break through in some way – to communicate – if not in words, then metaphorically.

The duty free shops have few items of expression for sale. Much of the merchandise is intended to offer a ‘deal’ where the non-payment of tax is seductive. Little attention seems to be paid to the fact that the underlying price is substantially marked up. In some cases, electronics can be cheaper outside than on the higher price with no tax.

This may have been the case with the glass carving that caught the eye. But the image overcame such concern. There were two birds on a log. The larger one, its wings outstretched, protecting and sheltering the smaller one. It was perfect. However wrong the intentions may be perceived to be, the image perfectly represented the feelings of love and affection that were at once felt but also missing in the marriage, from one party at least. The figure, touched the soul. When this happens there is a connection to the divine in whatever form one may feel that takes.

Arriving home, the gift was presented to what seemed a ritualistic form of gratitude. Its home became a window sill in the small condominium master bedroom. It lay in front of a window blind at night. In the summer, the heat dictated that the window stayed open so, perhaps, it was no surprise that the glass was brushed to the floor within days. The small bird broke from the log and, with that, from the protection of the larger bird. It was as if it sought its own life away. The metaphor of the expression intended to be communicated was over but perhaps a new one was created. The small bird was perhaps free; the larger one was anchored still to the log – the home.

A different home. The small bird was not physically there just as the partner was not physically there having moved to another bedroom. The log home, just like the real one, became less complete. As in real life, the larger bird stayed in place but the home now became a jail. There was no love, no partner. Stuck to a log. Some days later, the wind blew again and the glass fell again. This time the larger bird detached from the log. The image of love and protection was now completely broken.

Perhaps this should have been cause for joy, for both birds were now free. And perhaps it will be. But the emotion contained in the small glass carving was intended for consumption not destruction.

As might be expected divorce followed. Joy has not returned but then there was a long, multi-year march down away from it. There is a strange comfort though that the metaphor of love was broken up by an outside wind. Was there a divine message or source of comfort that this was the natural way of things in this case? Given that one partner did not comprehend the message of the figure, perhaps it was a vehicle to bring an element of peace to the other – that there was understanding somewhere out there and that one is not alone.