Symmetry

Symmetry

by

Sadaf Salman Makhdoom

Yesterday I happened to teach my eldest daughter the most boring subject I find...mathematics. Since young age I hated calculations. So most of the time I hand her over to her father for this boredom. I hate to calculate numbers or even the circumstances for that matter. So she came to me and requested to teach her symmetry.

I was telling her about the lines that are so calculated and perfect that they form a symmetry just like relationships. If a relationship has a perfect line of love and friendship it is the most beautiful example of symmetry. My first instinct was to tell her this but that would have gone off the track and too much for her young beautiful mind to take in. I wish to tell her that learning symmetry in mathematics may or may not help other than passing with flying colours, what she needs to learn is the symmetry of life relationships, sacrifices, hardships, love and religion.

She was bent upon learning about symmetry from me but little did she know that her mother's mind had drifted off to another universe of symmetries with multiple lines intersecting each other like people whom she met in different times and phases of life. They intersected and moved on...those people whom she thought she had a symmetry with but they proved to be mere lines who were meant to cross her path. I thought of telling my daughter that she should be very careful with these lines which can make her life asymmetrical.

My younger came running to me asking for food...and then the youngest came and kissed me all over my face..this is the symmetry...just the perfect set of lines which intersected my heart and filled it with love...these lines will move on to become a symmetry of their own but their point of intersection will always be my heart.

Symmetry gives a beautiful proportion and a harmonious balance in mathematics but I think it's more obvious in real life. The sense of perfection cannot be achieved by mastering the art, but mastering the art of symmetry can create it in life as per our choice; when to join whom and where to intersect the other.

Spherical symmetry always impresses me the most. It's when something is cut through the center, the resulting halves are the same. Just as two loving symmetrical life partners sharing a same heart full of love. The bond cannot restricted to life partners but anyone who shares your heart can be symmetrical to you.