The Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous buildings in the world. The construction began in 1173 between the Arno and Serchio rivers in Tuscany, central Italy. By the time the builders finished the third of eight planned stories approximately five years later, the tower’s foundation had begun to settle into the ground beneath, a dense mixture of clay, sand, and shells. As a result of the soft ground of the foundation, the structure began to visibly tilt toward the south. At this time, a war broke out between Italian cities and halted construction for almost a century. War is never a good thing, however the pause in construction proved to be lucky for the structure, allowing the foundation to settle and likely prevent its early collapse.
Over the years much effort and engineering have been done to preserve and secure the Tower. It is not only surprising that the Tower is still standing today, but also amazing because it has survived at least four earthquakes. As it turns out, geologists and engineers to this day, continue to adjust and maintain the foundation that saved it through the years from collapsing with new designs and techniques. The most interesting to me was thinking about how the foundation materials that caused the Tower to tilt are preciously what keeps it strong and famous!
I enjoyed investigating the history of the Tower mainly because it is a success story, as well as a work in progress, much like all of us. Our foundations are being tested now in every way, especially our individual foundations. Each of us work towards building the foundations that will support our individual needs, wants and desires with materials specific for our benefit.
Building life around faith, family and friends is essential in generating a solid vital force from which to create a life worth living. Spending time maintaining relationships is a never-ending process that takes patience, knowledge and mostly love. Make the checkup easy with two questions, “What do I want more of?” and “What do I want less of?” Filling in the blanks will immediately begin to sure up any shaky tilts of your personal bedrock. After all, relationships and connections are what we live for!
Spoiler alert! Despite setting strong foundations, without fail, there will always be challenges in life. But as we have all witnessed this year and the history of the Tower shows us, new ways of doing things emerge and surprisingly become a more solid fit for the new year ahead.
Stay grateful, hopeful, and forward looking, especially through this spirited last month of the year. It takes openness and patience to create lasting positive changes, but the 2020 pandemic has taught us all we are up for the task.
“What defines us is how well we rise after tilting.”
Love to all,
Cindi
