Universal Balance

So, I'm not Buddhist or Zen or Hindu. I'm not even very knowledgeable about those faiths. But those Eastern disciplines evoke in my mind an idea of Universal Balance. The yin and yang. I'm starting to see glimmers of that balance in my life--in my children of course. First, a definition from dictionary.com:

yin and yang
–noun
(in Chinese philosophy and religion) two
principles, one negative, dark, and feminine (yin), and one positive,
bright, and masculine (yang), whose interaction influences the destinies of
creatures and things.

My first born is Yin. E is often moody and unpredictable. Since school has started, he bemoans his lack of time alone (what five year old craves time alone?). He is pessimistic and worries constantly. Very Yin. S is Yang all the way. Yang is all about earnestness and eagerness. He is on it, whatever it happens to be. He is physical and optimistic. He accepts punishment as though he really understands the concept of justice ("yeah, I blew it. No TV. Sucks to be me.") A complete opposite of Yin.

So Yin and Yang have an agreement at my house. I don't know if it's an actual spoken agreement, or if it's just the way the universe crumbles. Only one of them can behave on any given day. Yesterday, Yang actually helped me clean out the playroom. We swept cockroach body parts, (survive a nuclear winter, my ass. They couldn't survive my kids' psychotically messy closet. It was like a cockroach chainsaw killer went berserk. Limbs everywhere. Ew.) sorted toys, and took out trash. He explained to me all the streets we needed to take to run our errands. He even played nicely for an hour and a half BY HIMSELF, on the ground, at Starbucks. That is some kind of Yang, let me tell ya. On the other hand, Yin was late for school yesterday because of his foul, foul mood. He was whiny, bitchy, and complained about everything. He didn't want to eat dinner, he didn't want to watch the end of Diego Saves the Moon. He didn't want to clear the table. He WOULDN'T go to bed. He was a wretched little boy.

This morning, Yin is downstairs at 7. He is dressed, asks politely for cereal. Holds the dog, takes him out, asks me how I slept, for pity's sake. He is ready to go to school on time, backpack in hand. Whoa. Yin, is that you? Yang, this morning, is in bed screaming at his dad. He does not want the proffered cereal. He does NOT want to play with the dog this morning. He WILL not clear his bowl. He is lying on my bed moaning for chocolate milk. Yang is a pain in the butt today. Universal balance people, it's out there.

Instant karma's gonna get me. Instant, huh? Can we have that for dinner?