There’s a teaching in Judaism that one should carry two notes, one in each pocket. One should say “I am but dust and ashes,” and the other should say “the whole world was created for me.” They are seen as opposites; you check one when you’re feeling down on yourself and the other when you’re feeling especially full of yourself. The idea is to maintain balance, but I think the way to achieve full harmony is to realize how they are saying the same thing.
That’s why I have imagined them as a carbon atom. Carbon is a main component of dust (and ashes), but also one of the main building blocks of life. Carbon simultaneously encompasses all. It’s in us, it’s in the stars, the planets, the trees. We are built to exist, yet we are also the building blocks of existence. If we keep both in mind, we can live in balance all the time.
are you a DYKE? do you have a WARM FUZZY friend (or coldblooded bestie)? then submit a photo of yourself and your pets to [email protected] with any name/pronouns/caption you’d like included next to your photo, to be featured in a future zine called Warm Fuzzy Dykes, a photo collection with a halloween-y, autumnal warmth 🍂☕️🐱🐶🧡