This week my husband Frank underwent cataract surgery for his left eye. (The right eye was done 2 weeks ago.) The surgery went well, for which I am profoundly grateful. Already he can see things he hasn’t seen without glasses in years. And every day, as the swelling in his eye goes down, his vision improves.

Coincidentally, our six-month-old grandson Lucas came to visit us this week.  Lucas’ eyes are also changing: from blue to blue-grey and slowly, to brown with blue-grey flecks. Lucas is also learning how to focus his eyes… on their dog, Rennie (his favorite thing to look at this week) … on the lights on the Christmas tree… and, when we sit in the sunroom, at the large golden square of stained glass hanging in our bay window.

Vision and light…

A very Christmasy theme, I am thinking.

Like Lucas, I am still learning where to focus my sight.

As I write this, I am sitting in the waiting room while Frank sees the doctor for his after-surgery checkup.

This year, I pray, may I focus on the goodness and kindness I see every day in my life, no matter how small. Like the courteous and ever-so-patient receptionist, who gently guided one patient to a different building and kindly told a sick elderly man about how this specialist didn’t see sick patients, but arranged for a nurse to call the man. She then looked up the name of the man’s primary care doctor, and encouraged the patient to call him.

To see kindness, and goodness, and all the things going right in my world… this does not require cataract surgery, but it does require that, like Lucas, I learn where to focus my vision.

A good thing to practice, now and in the year ahead.

My wish for each of you who read this is that you be surrounded by love and affection at this holiday season, and may you be given the vision to see it and the grace to celebrate it.

Peace,

Luann