This month, Hindus and students of the Faith of the Pure Ray all over the world are preparing for Diwali, and Americans are preparing for our Independence Day, which falls on the 4th.
As I was going through my patriotic decorations this morning, I was thinking about what to say today as we transition into the Hindu segment of the calendar. For the first time, I saw the American flag in my hand, not just as a symbol of the United States of America, but as three colors that represent this first half of the month perfectly.
Red is the color of Creativity. Blue is the color of Security--and conflict resolution--and white symbolizes purity and perfection.
The Preamble of our Constitution says:
"We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Isn't this what Diwali is about, but for a family?
The first requirement for conflict resolution is that all sides must be considered equal. We addressed that last month as we focused on the principles of Islam.
When I think of the steps of conflict resolution, I imagine a family that has been estranged. They are separated, but equal. An event forces everyone to come together, such as a grave illness or death. Then, everyone must assume responsibility, and then come up with a plan that benefits everyone.
Can that plan be for a more perfect union? Diwali focuses on peaceful relationships.
Death is more than it seems. People die when they believe they cannot get their life, and oftentimes it is a conflict that seems to have no resolution that causes the death. For many years, I worked in the health care field, and saw women who were dealing with breast cancer, for example, and the women who had the full support of the family survived. I do not believe the family should be forced to comply with another's unreasonable demands, but unreasonable demands may cover up a hidden fear. Death is not inevitable.
Sometimes, there are factors involved that make conflict resolution much more difficult, and for those times, I recommend our Conflict Resolution brochures, which can be found on our website in the reference section. (They are in pdf format, English only.)