Soul Heir
By Sally Bishai (03/12/06)
I have a friend; I'll call her Parthenia.
Parthenia is a dear, but she isn't perfect. One of her biggest flaws is a certain facet of her disposition.
And one of her greatest talents is cooking. And one of her philosophies is a complete shunnage of Western medicine. To look at her is to see her mother at the same age.
Looks aside--for in that respect they aren't so alike--she IS her mother.
Nothing too odd yet, I know.
But here's the thing: She's never met her mother.
I have, however, and I can confess to spending a good many hours in my life, wondering how a girl who grew up in a totally different family could, in fact, take after her mother in every respect.
Now, I know that some would bring in the whole heredity thing. I've read the studies. After all, one of my degrees is in psychology. Up to a certain point, I'd agree; genes do make a difference in such things as health, disposition, even addictive tendencies.
But. What about the shunnage of Western medicine? I don't remember seeing that trait on the most recent photo of a double-helix. So what gives?
Well, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that, as we pass genetic material on to our offspring, so, too, do we share our souls. I won't say that I understand it, but I have to contend that this is a valid theory. (Because, even though I can't prove it, and may not even agree with my own opinion after a week or two days, no one can actually DISprove it, so there we are.)
Everyone thinks in terms of "nature," or physiological and organic makings-up of the person, and "nurture," or the way one's been raised, aka "environment."
The only proposed combinations that I know about (although maybe Edgar Cayce or L. Ron Hubbard wrote about it and I didn't hear, having never read either) are those of nature OR nurture, or else, a combination of nature AND nurture. (And I'm sure "Fate" is thrown in there somewhere, though the jury's still out on whether I even believe in that, but that's another story.)
But what if there's another element, one that we can't actually quantify? There has to be. And not just because my friend Parthenia's fave dish is couscous with peanut sauce, garnished with oranges and coconuts. A dish I've seen her mother prepare a thousand times.
This other element sticks a toe into the waters of a soulmate theory that suggests a sort of pool of compatibility, rather than a "one-and-only" type deal. I know, I know.. you're wondering from whence came soulmates from a discussion of heredity. It'll tie together in a sec, I promise. (You may disagree with my reasoning, but it'll be tied up, nice and neat. Really. Stop doubting and go back to reading! Ok, good. Hmph.)
For those of you who know what I mean about the whole pool of possibilities, consider the important factors in being with one of the candidates; timing (you or they might already be with someone), ethics (you might not care that they're married, you're engaged, etc.) and proximity, amongst others.
And if we're talking platonic relations, then there's nothing stopping you from being friends with every single person who's your match.
Have you ever met someone and just sort of known what they'd be like? Or known what your friendship would be like? It makes me wonder whether they just happen to be meeting our expectations (maybe they're from our pool?) OR if we have some sixth-sense knowledge of these people. Either way, it would seem as though something--likely unseen--tied us to them.
If you want an example, I'll share my tale of Rob and Fob.
Rob is a guy I've been friends with for years. We're very close, and he's (more than once) mentioned how well I fit into his family. (Not like that.) We have a bit of an intuitive relationship, though we only get to hang out about once every 8 years or so, these days. If you ask me what makes us friends, I couldn't put it into words. Neither could he. We've actually discussed it.
He's just recently gotten married, and I can't be happier for him. (He's not Egyptian, by the way.)
Enter Fob into the picture, so named because 1-He actually is a FOB (from Egypt, no less), and 2- FOB rhymes with ROB.
Now, then. I met Fob two years back. From Day One, he and I have understood one another. We're nowhere as close as Rob is to me, nor do we talk above 4 times a year.
But, elements of my friendship with Rob do emerge with Fob, despite the fact that they have next to nothing in common.
Apart from face; yes... in an odd twist of fate, Rob and Fob are mirror images, from hair to eyes to voice, differing only in build.
It's strange, though... the same unspoken things that account for my deep friendship with Rob are the same things that (to my mind, anyway) draw Fob and me together. (Not like that!)
Some relationships.. conversations, even.. transcend the sexual, the physical, the emotional, even. They're purely on a level that you can never touch, could never touch, and have no proof of.
But they do exist, and if you're one of the people out there with an activated soul, you know what I'm talking about.
But this quasi-romantic drivel has naught to do with my main point. Or, at least, it's just there to help illustrate my main point (and there is one!), which is that I think that we bear the invisible genes of our forefathers' souls.
It could be that the same 10 or so people from the beginning of time could have passed down their own soul, which would be mingled with the passed-down soul of a person they had a child with, a child that bore this new combination of souls.
So when we meet people with the same "lineage," for lack of a better word, perhaps our souls recognise theirs? (You will notice, I'm sure, that I didn't say that we recognise their souls from another time, as though we and they were friends or family or whatnot; I don't, in the least, subscribe to reincarnation. As we all know, I'm a Christian. I will admit, however, that it's a singularly beautiful idea that I wish was actually possible.)
That would explain, I think, how we can meet people, know them, love them, trust them, or whatever--all at first sight. Not sure, also, how this meshes with the pool of possibilities model, but I haven't even begun to think that far yet. And I haven't even begun to factor in the whole "do opposites attract, or is it likes that attract?"
I'm thinking of doing a study on these topics, BUT I'm also sorely tempted to not even try to understand it, and just enjoy the many, varied, and sometimes almost identical friends that God has sent my way!
(So long as they don't try to force-feed me any orange/peanut couscous..)
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