Yin and Yang
Yin and Yang

This is the first in a new series of Bitesize Tales written by Joanna Gawn. Please Like, Share or Comment if you enjoy it! 🙂

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Yves threw a stone into the lake. It pierced the surface of the still waters, sending ripples feathering across the expanse.

Yvette scowled. “Oh, Yves! Why did you do that? I could see the mountains reflected in the water. It was beautiful.” She sighed. Her twin was always the same, always disrupting, always changing things and making noise.

Yves shrugged. “And now you have ripples, and movement, and the mirrored mountains are jagged and fractured. It’s still good.”

“Maybe to you. But I preferred it when it was flat and calm: the water quiet and the image fixed.”

Yves smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Darling Yvette . . . nothing remains fixed forever. It will always change. And change can be good.”

Yvette wasn’t sure how to answer. She watched as the ripples dispersed, as the lake regained its former composure. She knew change was inevitable. Nonetheless she was happier when things were ordered, well-behaved.

“There,” whispered Yves, a few moments later. “You have your stillness back.”

“Until next time,” she muttered, throwing a dark look towards her brother.

In uneasy silence, they sat side-by-side, gazing at the water, the mountains solid and sturdy, with fuzzy cloaks of green and grey, the vast blue sky striped with high cloud. The sun was eclipsed momentarily, leaving the air cool, and Yvette shivered.

Yves leaned back on his arms, studying the scene thoughtfully. “What about sunshine, Yvette?”

She started. “What do you mean?”

“Do you like it? Rainbows, too?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Well then. But you do not like rain?”

“Not particularly.” Where was Yves going with these questions?

“Well then,” her brother said, as though everything was as clear as the lake. “Without rain, you would not appreciate the warmth and glow of the sunlight. Without storms, you would not appreciate the magic and beauty of the rainbow. Do you not see? Contrast is essential for gratitude and appreciation.”

Yvette stared at her brother. Twins, yes, but so different in temperament. She’d always thought that was due to the fact he was male, unable to fully understand her. Now she wondered whether he was a raincloud to her rainbow, too. A means for her to understand life more deeply. A rush of affection charged through her and she reached out to him and hugged him.

“What’s this for?” Yves laughed, holding her close.

“Just for being you,” she said simply. “For being Yves to my Yvette, for being my contrast.”

Yves squeezed her tight. “That’s why I’m me, and you’re you. We’re Yin and Yang.”

Copyright Joanna Gawn 2013