There is a certain chaotic quality about life that I try to respect. Acquiescing to chaos, unfortunately, breeds only more chaos. Respect builds a relationship with it, integrates it into the human scheme, our scheme. If we control too much, we lose control. D.T. Suzuki included a story in Zen and Japanese Culture that deeply touched me as a young man. In preparation for the visit of a neighboring Zen master, a disciple is given the task of cleaning the monastery courtyard. Try as he may his work is rejected until his master shakes the plum tree allowing a few random leaves to fall on pristine tiles. It's much easier to respect chaos that is tightly controlled. The disciple of this story might have said, "The courtyard is already clean." Zen stories are often the record of verbal combats. But, the courtyard was not clean. After many tries, it was overly clean, overly controlled, overly humanized. It lacked that peculiar element of chaos that makes things perfect. Raindrops on the window this morning.