Cairn
The photographic theme across the pages of this website is a stack of stones, known as a cairn. A cairn is made up of many stones of varying sizes, each one uniquely shaped. Yet, when carefully stacked they become a balanced structure.
Balance
Much of mental health is about balance. Life is full of contradictions. We may wish to work harder and accomplish more while desiring more time with our family and loved ones. We may believe our problems are great and trust that we have the ability to overcome them. We may have a strong emotional reaction to an experience and know that we can only successfully deal with it if we do so rationally. We may acknowledge we are doing the best we can and resolve to try harder. The cairn symbolizes the possibility of balancing disparate parts of our psychological makeup.
Stones
The stones that comprise a cairn are hard and asymmetrical. They have weathered the elements nature has thrown at them. And their appearance is affected by their experience. But they are resilient; they survive, and their resulting imperfections are their very beauty. As we journey through life, we too are affected by its stresses and tribulations. We rely on our resilience to help us through difficult experiences. Our ability to embrace the scars and wounds of that journey as contributors to our individual uniqueness, rather than viewing them as blemishes or imperfections, frees us from negative self-judgement and allows us to live more meaningfully.
Pile of Stones
The Torah makes reference to a monument made of a pile of stones in the story of Yaakov's departure from his uncle, Lavan (Bereishis [Genesis] 31). The pile serves as both a testimony to their agreement and a boundary between them. Healthy relationships include components of both commitment and boundary. The commitment serves as the unifying bond of the relationship, while the boundaries allow the individuals to maintain their individuality. Surely the nature of our boundaries vary depending on the type of relationships, but the absence of boundaries is the mark of an unhealthy relationship. Reevaluating the boundaries in our relationships is an important step to achieving mental health.
The photographic theme across the pages of this website is a stack of stones, known as a cairn. A cairn is made up of many stones of varying sizes, each one uniquely shaped. Yet, when carefully stacked they become a balanced structure.
Balance
Much of mental health is about balance. Life is full of contradictions. We may wish to work harder and accomplish more while desiring more time with our family and loved ones. We may believe our problems are great and trust that we have the ability to overcome them. We may have a strong emotional reaction to an experience and know that we can only successfully deal with it if we do so rationally. We may acknowledge we are doing the best we can and resolve to try harder. The cairn symbolizes the possibility of balancing disparate parts of our psychological makeup.
Stones
The stones that comprise a cairn are hard and asymmetrical. They have weathered the elements nature has thrown at them. And their appearance is affected by their experience. But they are resilient; they survive, and their resulting imperfections are their very beauty. As we journey through life, we too are affected by its stresses and tribulations. We rely on our resilience to help us through difficult experiences. Our ability to embrace the scars and wounds of that journey as contributors to our individual uniqueness, rather than viewing them as blemishes or imperfections, frees us from negative self-judgement and allows us to live more meaningfully.
Pile of Stones
The Torah makes reference to a monument made of a pile of stones in the story of Yaakov's departure from his uncle, Lavan (Bereishis [Genesis] 31). The pile serves as both a testimony to their agreement and a boundary between them. Healthy relationships include components of both commitment and boundary. The commitment serves as the unifying bond of the relationship, while the boundaries allow the individuals to maintain their individuality. Surely the nature of our boundaries vary depending on the type of relationships, but the absence of boundaries is the mark of an unhealthy relationship. Reevaluating the boundaries in our relationships is an important step to achieving mental health.