Keystone Moments

Quick - what is a keystone?
You've heard of it, but what is it?

According to Westwind Design a Keystone is: In unit-masonry (e.g., stone block or brick) construction, the keystone is the central stone which completes the construction of an arch and permits it to carry vertical loads. The keystone is wider at the top than at the bottom, so that it acts like a wedge which uses the weight placed on it to force the other blocks forming the arch together, thus preventing them from falling.

When I think about the keystone or look at pictures of one, I realize that within the arch it doesn't look exactly like the other stones or bricks. It is is wider at the top. I am not sure where I am going with this metaphor, but I think it is interesting that this wedge is required to maintain the force required to keep an arch standing.

What would be a keystone within an organization? Could it be a particular person, an event, an activity, or a vision. Without the keystone the rest of the arch would not stand, yet it is added at the completion of the building of the arch.

So, think about keystones, where they are in our lives and what they mean. The amazing thing about the keystone is that it helps all the other stones or bricks maintain a pressure that allows them to stay upright.