5158. Z oazy (CDLIX)

Prezent urodzinowy. Dotarł. I cieszył serce i oczy, i duszę. I dłonie poćwiczył.

Attempt what you can’t, in order to
find out what you can.

Kobi Yamada, Trying, ilustr. Elise Hurst,
Compendium, Seattle (WA) 2021.

What if you looked for the good in
yourself, and others—what would you see?

🖇

This is a story about noticing the little things […]. It is about embracing what’s possible. The incredible is everywhere, and in everything—waiting to be known, discovered, recognized.
     […]  It is also an invitation to look within, to your own hopes and dreams, and perhaps to discover even more.

🖇

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

It seemed as if someone was talking to me.
“It’s okay, I guess,” I replied.

🖇

“[…]  I’d say this is indeed an exceptional day to
be alive. Don’t you think?”

🖇

“Are you a painter?” I asked.

“I like to think of myself as more of a noticer really,”
she answered. “I just try to make things from what I
see. It is my way of appreciating and honouring them.”

🖇

She looked over to me and asked, “When you look up,
what do you see!”

🖇

“[…]  I’m filled with butterflies of excitement. It feels like an adventure is unfolding and I don’t want to miss any of it!”

🖇

I stared up wanting to see what she saw.

“The more you pause and allow for the extraordinary,”
the painter explained, “the more you find it.”

🖇

“And often what we see depends on what we look for.”

“Take this mountain for instance.” She gestured to the horizon.
“[…]  Though we all may look at the same thing, we don’t always see it in the same way. That is true for mountains, and also for people.”

🖇

“When we look at others, we […]  often don’t notice the important things, like their capacity for love, what they hope for, what they dream of, or who they can become.”

“We can often miss the most beautiful parts of them.”

🖇

I wondered what I wasn’t noticing.
I wondered what I was missing.

🖇

“Everyone shines and needs to be seen. Everyone wants to know that they matter, that there is a place for them, and that they are needed. Sure, some may hide their brilliance, but the light is in there, always flickering, and it is a beautiful thing when we can reflect it back to them.”

🖇

“Some days I find that I can notice even more when I close my eyes,” she explained. “The gentle rustling of my hair, the ideas dancing in my head, the sunshine on my face, and the wonder of being alive.”

She invited me to close my eyes.

“What does home look like to you? What does kindness feel like? What does love look like?” the painter asked. “What does it feel like to have a friend? What does it look like to be one!”

“One of the most important ways we see is with our imagination. So many significant things cannot be seen with your eyes, but they are very real. And it is vital that you look for and believe in them.”

•

I was filled with a feeling of calm and appreciation. It was moving and wonderful. I sat there with my eyes closed, picturing the people and places and things that meant so much to me in my life.

🖇

“One of the best things you can be is interested,” the painter shared. “When you are interested, you are curious, and when you are curious, you discover things-amazing things, about yourself and about the world.”

“The miraculous is everywhere and in everything.
Waiting for us to notice it. Waiting for us to appreciate it.
Waiting for us to love it.”

🖇

I miss her. […]  But mostly, what I wish I could say is, thank you for seeing me.

Kobi Yamada, Noticing, ilustr. Elise Hurst,
Compendium, Seattle (WA) 2023.
(wyróżnienie własne)

Look closely. There is so much to love and appreciare. There is so much to discover.

(tamże)