This weekend, the water pump at home stopped working. I spent a few hours figuring out the issue, only to discover that the automatic floater had failed. I replaced it. While fixing it, a thought quietly surfaced: Everything needs maintenance; machines, household equipment, the human body, and relationships. Nothing lasts without care. I smiled at the simplicity of it. Then another thought followed: Things do not always work the way we expect them to. And we twist and turn. I was, in part, thinking of the city water supply that had run dry on its scheduled day. And I pumped well water. The work of repair is not occasional; it is constant. Things appear perfect at first, then slowly begin to show signs of wear. This is not a flaw, but it is a design. Care is not the same as reacting to every small symptom. There is a balance between “one more day” and immediate intervention. Some things can wait. Others demand attention. Knowing that moment, that right moment, is a quiet skill. Then...
Monologue .......