Springtime Blessing

Gift of Sight

“In a way, nobody sees a flower, really, it is so small, we haven’t the time—and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”

Georgia O’Keeffe

          This gorgeous iris was blooming in someone’s garden down the hill from me. I noticed it when Liza and I made our circuit of the neighborhood. I have iris in my yard, too, but none as ostentatious as this one. Looking out from the porch this morning, I see a world so green I feel immersed in a deep green sea.

          Pablo Picasso expressed the gift of vision this way: “If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes.” We might find the world around us truly awesome. The colors alone, without concentrating on individual objects, alter our mood. As Paul Klee said, “One eye sees, the other feels.” We know the importance of set design to the mood of a movie or play. The lighting, the colors, the shadows; everything you see determines the mood. Candlelight, flowers, and even the drape of a tablecloth, signals a special evening. We feel colors.

          As Georgia O’Keeffe said, however, it takes time to really see something—whether leaf, flower, or friend. If we are fortunate enough to have sight, we can look with both eyes—our seeing and our feeling eyes. We can examine minute details, nuances of color and texture. One of great joys of feeding a baby, for instance, is holding them close enough to notice their absolute perfection. When was the last time your studied something in detail?

          Choose something to examine closely—give yourself time to truly see it. Study the variations of color, and texture. Does it reflect light or absorb it? Pay attention to how you feel when you look at it. One gift the coronavirus pandemic has afforded us is clearer, cleaner air and light, as well as time to sit with something or someone. I hope you take advantage of that today.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane