Every child fortunate enough to learn about our solar system has been amazed by the rings of Saturn. Dusty rings encircling a planet is a strangeness exactly out of this world — very alien, and very isolated.
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Recent photographs of Saturn and its rings were taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, and published by The Smithsonian Magazine. They show more extensive rings than have been seen before, with many amazing patterns reaching out and circling back around. |
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But while Saturn and its rings stand as a marvel, it stands as a lonely marvel, separated by millions of miles from its nearest neighbors. It turns out that other planets have rings, including Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune. But they are so very far away from each other. It is as if these planets are reaching out — surrounding themselves with bits of themselves, but unable to reach far enough. |
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Back on Earth, every school child has learned about water, that amazing life-enveloping molecule called H2O. Instead of rings of dust, a water molecule has rings of electrons. And instead of isolated, useless rings, water has shared rings that both strengthen and calm it. The components of water — those 2 Hydrogen atoms and the Oxygen atom — are highly reactive on their own, and not always in good ways. But when they come together they become much more than they were apart — they take on a new form with amazing capabilities — they become the key to life. |
Around each of us are rings of energy, hopes, skills and love that we can share with others. When we join together in community we become more than we can be on our own — stronger and calmer — and things become clear.
Don’t be a planet on its own. Become water. Become community.
Be rings around the rosey. Together we won’t fall down.