Lesson 10: Rebuilding is Necessary

I am currently in Siem Reap Cambodia- which is home to the magnificent Ankor Temples. The city itself has become a bustling tourist hot spot- (where I have to admit I have fallen into the trap of splurging on Mexican food and ice cream, both of which were very delicious!)-The temples however manage to retain their splendor, even amongst the busloads of anxious crowds filling them and posing for pictures in every mental picture you try to take of the place itself. It is hard to find the feeling of peace that once filled the walls of this city, but it is easy to see how it was possible. The size and detail alone, make it one of those things you really must see to really appreciate. Looking around at the stories told by the walls, and the thanks given by it’s statues, it was apparent just how devoted these people were.

There are many temples in the area, the most popular being Ankor Wat. My personal favorite was Ta Prohm- which also happens to be where Tomb Raider was filmed. The giant roots of the trees that coexist with the remains of pillars and hallways seem to melt off of the walls, dripping their roots down to the ground. It was really beautiful to see these elements intermingle in such a way.

As I walked around, I noticed a lot of the temples were under renovation. I read the signs about who was doing what, and why. I examined the old stones that were laid out ready to be put into their new places. I watched as the groups of workers positioned and camouflaged the stones as if they had never been touched. Some of them were cleaned, and then made to look dirty so they didn’t stand out. Other sections were obviously new, and joined in with the originals. There were elaborate plans, and many countries all with their own projects at each temple. It really made me think about just how much of the integrity was really being saved, and what would happen if no one ever stepped in. I began to have mixed feelings on whether they were restoring the temples, or creating a new Disneyland behind a sacred mask. I wrote a poem on my first thoughts of the process:

We destroy the old, to rebuild it,
To try and save it’s soul,
But refurbishing part of what has been,
Can never show its whole,
We remember things we once had,
With fondest memories,
But filling now with what was,
Will never let you be


Sometimes they say you need to let go of the past, but apparently there are exceptions to that. There are some things in life that are worth giving a second chance. Some things that mean so much more than any label can describe them as. There are some things that need a little help after the effects of time to keep them in tact- (does that make heart transplants and knee replacements our necessary renovations, after all, they also say your body is your temple?)

I was a little annoyed at the renovations at first. I thought, they should just let them be- live in the present…haha- not ruin them with signs and new ideas, and perspectives that totally change what they were built upon. I learned however, that I was wrong. Sometimes we need to let things transform a bit, shift into the present in a way that may not have been part of the original plan. In order for our bodies to stay healthy, our minds to keep expanding, marriages to work- we need to preserve them and make the necessary renovations with the resources we have available. We need to take them apart at times, to rebuild them- making them stronger although they still look just the same- though weathered- as they always have. We need to let others help in times of weakness, to show us new ways to find strength so we don’t crumble. We need to stand tall and through all of the new additions, ideas, and people that are waiting to see our progress, and remember what we stand for. I changed my original thoughts and added to my once complete poem, creating something new from the old:

We destroy the old, to rebuild it,
To try and save it’s soul,
But refurbishing part of what has been,
Can never show its whole,
We remember things we once had,
With fondest memories,
But filling now with what was,
Will never let you be,
But when new and old combine,
In perfect harmony,
They form into what is,
And continue to what will be