Seeing
Clearly
“I have
been finding treasure in places I did not want to search. I have been
hearing wisdom from tongues I did not want to listen. I have been
finding beauty where I did not want to look. And I have learned so
much from journeys I did not want to take. Forgive me, O Gracious
One; for I have been closing my ears and eyes for too long. I have
learned that miracles are only called miracles because they are often
witnessed by only those who can see through all of life's
illusions...”
Suzy
Kassem (Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem)
Sometimes life is like
trying to see through a screen soaked with rain. We know there's
something on the other side, we may even think we remember the view,
but we can't quite make it out. We adopt the collective ideas of what
is important, and pass right by our own as if they are insignificant.
We acquire the language and the persona of those we see as powerful
and “in” without asking the question of what is me, how do I
speak myself. We even change our attire to reflect the fashion trends
that designers tell us we should wear. Through a glass darkly, we
live within the world's illusions.
Once we open our eyes,
and begin to question the wisdom of how we live and who we truly are,
these things fall away like raindrops on a sunny day. It is as though
we have new eyes—we may be looking at the very same things, but
somehow we see them differently. Much that seemed important before no
longer matters. The people we once ignored become interesting,
meaningful. We recognize and want to protect beauty in all its forms.
We listen equally to young and old, rich and poor, educated and not,
and gain wisdom and insight from each. The world opens up, and we see
vistas we did not know existed, though we have been looking at
them for our whole lives.
We think a miracle has
happened. And we are right—consciousness is the greatest miracle of
all. “I am ready to see what really exists on the other side,
what exists behind the blinds, and taste all the ugly fruit instead
of all that looks right, plump and ripe.” (Suzy Kassem) I hope
today your eyes are open, and you can see what is, instead of life's
illusions.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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