It's Pi Day!
Pi* day is here! It is March 14th today (3.14), near the “Ides,” about which we’ve been warned. Is there some warning related to the 14th? Heck, no. Only that we not have too much Pi.
What would that be, too much Pi? Maybe being too numerical, too caught up in calculating, in figuring, in trying to plot things out, needing to have an explanation that makes perfect sense, where everything adds up and comes out as expected, according to the formula. While math is exacting and can be beautiful – as with fractals – how much of life is precise like that? Why do we seek that? I think we seek that kind of left-brain calculation because we’re uncomfortable with the unknown, the fluid, with the ebb and flow of “that which is taking form” and “that which is releasing form.” In other words, with the messy truths of life on planet Earth. Things are always taking form and leaving form. With every breath, we ourselves change.
Yet we try to establish truths and constants, with some hope that they will comfort us, make us feel safe, make us feel like we understand and have a measure of control.
What significant thing in your life came out exactly as you expected? Name one thing.
Me either. Can’t name one thing. And today, I find that comforting. I’ve reached a stage in life where it’s no longer important to invest in expectations, or at least not in calculating and planning so much.
Now, it’s more about setting intentions and then letting go of expectations about how things will actually turn out. Now, I tend towards, say, the intention of having a good time, or of being relaxed, or of enjoying time with friends, of being healthy, of being productive or compassionate, or of creating a garden I’ll enjoy, rather than investing energy in any details about those things. It’s so freeing this way.
Which isn’t to say that I don’t get exacting sometimes! I do, including around pie. There are times when measuring matters, like getting the proportions among flour, salt, Crisco and ice water just right, or making the “perfect” lattice. It’s also true that if my intention is to put love into what I’m doing, it seems to come out well enough and meanwhile, I’m not stressing. Yay!
So, while I’m glad there are numbers like pi (3.14………), and that some people get a kick out of them, I’m not invested in them. I’m more interested in any excuse to make and share pie, so if it’s Pi Day, that’s good enough!
Special thanks to a true Pie Pal, Peter, who found this photo of a Pie Day pie. May you always have good pie, dear friend.
*Pi is a special number, representing the ratio between a circle and its diameter. It can only be expressed in an exact way through the Greek letter “Pi,” as the numbers to the right of the decimal never terminate (thus 3.14159265359…). Can you tell my partner is a math nerd?
Photo credit: Real Science-4-Kids
