The Illusion of Control

My family gathered tonight to watch Kung Fu Panda, the first one, at my insistence. It was advertised with a trailer in a different movie the kids had watched in the afternoon, and I had the urge to see it again. (No my kids did not watch TV all day. Today was the last day of camp and they happily spent it shooting off home-made rockets and having a picnic. The day was simply perfect for them.)

There are many things to love about Kung Fu Panda including Jack Black's excellent performance as Po, the cinematics, the nod to all those 70's kung fu movies starring Bruce Lee (yes, I watched them as a kid and adored them). I was wanting to see the comedic parts because I love them and laugh at them no matter how many times I see them. (A giant panda butt squashing the super evil terrifying bad guy's head over and over? Come on. Pure gold.)

But I also found myself enjoying the quieter moments, the beautiful scene of the wise old turtle leaving his student in a swirl of peach blossom petals and stars, to fend for himself and find a way to teach the Dragon Warrior what he needs to know. Of course the in-your-face message in this movie is "Believe in Yourself". Believe you can and you will. Believe you are, and you will be. It's easy to pick that one up since a lot of kids' movies spout it, and it's not a bad message. Just overdone, sometimes. It becomes white noise.

What I heard tonight was the other message the turtle had for his student. "Give up the illusion of control." He used the example of the peach tree to illustrate what he meant. You can't make the tree blossom or put forth fruit when you want it to. It will do it when it's ready. You can make the fruit fall or pick it, but even if you plant the seed, it will still grow into a peach tree no matter how you might demand it become an apple tree.

Some people spend all their time regretting they didn't plant an apple tree. Some people spend all their time trying to make the tree flower, or fruit, anticipating what will come, and impatient it hasn't already happened. Or worse, worrying that something will happen to the tree and making themselves upset over something that may never happen.

Some things are beyond your control. Stop regretting not having an apple tree, and wait patiently for the peach tree to show you it's beauty. And in the present, enjoy the shade.