Being Silver
Silver, unlike gold, requires our participation
to retain its sheen.
Gold can hold its reflecting surface on its own, but silver tarnishes, and we must polish it to keep its mirror shine.
We will one day be golden, transmuted into an irreducible light, but until we achieve that state, we must do the work of polishing , of buffing, of removing the tarnish that clouds our surface, until we shine , until we are a mirror, reflecting back with innocence what is before us, undiluted, untainted, unjudged.
Being at peace with being silver means finding the joy in rubbing at our imperfect surface until we shine with a glow that seems to come from within, is not simply a reflection, but is taking the silver beyond itself into something that is sacred.
Staying at the work of polishing until we receive the reward of the brilliant gleam of our untroubled being requires patience, diligence, and a great deal of faith. Seeking the rewards in life, the ones that nourish our bodies, and, more importantly our souls, are how we find the stamina to keep rubbing the grit into our darkness, our tarnish, our humanity, until we shine like the sun.
Whatever you are polishing at, whatever imperfection, whatever scuff, keep at it, until you receive the reward for your hard work, otherwise, it will all fall back into dullness. It is not the end of the world, it is simply time to begin again, and this time, take your work far enough to achieve what you are seeking! That will make all the difference in the world, and, perhaps, will soothe the ache in your soul. Not all at once, simply as you can bear it, that is how we shift, we grow, we change. We are silver, and that is enough.
Terry Tischmak, C 5/2024
