Now Ap-pair-ing in ‘Life’…

‘Every action has an equal and opposite reaction’

This is the third of Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Physics. How kinda perfect it would have been if it was the second.

It seems everything has a pair, laughter and tears, good and evil, yin and yang, night and day, Shaggy and Scooby Doo.

I remember musing many times over equal and opposite. Whether something that can be totally contradictory can be equal or if that’s a false hope or rule.

If something is equal, it’s the same. Night and Day aren’t the same are they? Surely they’re opposites. Sometimes one is longer than the other but over the course of the year the timings of both balance the scales so whilst opposite – they are in fact, equal.

Then there are magnets. The literal definition of polar opposites. Like ends cannot be together. They abhor each other and will only connect and form a bond with an opposite end.

There are pairs that neutralize each other like acids and bases. Equally as caustic apart but rendered safe by the effects of each other. They wipe out each other’s bad points.

So are all pairs equal? I think not. Magnets come in different strengths. A weaker magnet can’t escape the overpowering pull of a dominant one. The grip is too strong. There are stronger acids and bases. A stronger acids harmful effects aren’t completely eradicated by a gentler base which in turn, is just ruined.

So it goes with relationships. It’s important to take stock of yourself and the other in every relationship so that all get the best. Do you bully your partner or allow them to bully you? Are you so loud they can’t be heard at all? Does your partner live in the shadow of your exuberance? Forgotten? Do you feel your contributions are overlooked?

It’s the same for friends and lovers. For a pairing to be successful there has to be give and take. If the scales aren’t balanced, the relationship is out of sync. That doesn’t mean there can’t be times where you carry each other. It means that like a tide, it should ebb and flow. Too much in either direction is catastrophic.

Pairs exist in every part of every day. From toast and butter to pyjamas and bed, you don’t realise how important they are until it’s out of sync. I’m writing this today, sat on my sofa because of an unequal pair… disease and cure. May that be resolved soon so the life and death pair stabilizes too.

This post was written in response to the WordPress Discover Prompt: Pairs