Three women, late eighties, sit side by side at open windows. Behind each are institutionalized bustle and the faint scent of antiseptic. Outside, there are trees and a garden and a light spring breeze. Each sits perfectly still and any differences between them are not apparent. But one has achieved something wonderful. She is content.
Not the first, who is upset that she has had no visitors this week. She has let go of hope, certain that she has been abandoned and doomed to a slow, lonely death. For the second, the pain of living is a thing of the past. No one has visited her, either. She has also let go, not only of hope, but of everything. Beyond sadness, anger and fear, she has fallen asleep with her eyes open. She is waiting to die, her only concern being that it may not come soon enough.
The third has also let go—but she is the one who is content. Beyond the demands of the life she has left behind, she has discovered the pure joy of simple pleasure. She is the only one of the three who notices the leaves as they dance in the wind. She is fascinated by the movements of shade and shadow. When a bird alights, when a squirrel bounds, she gasps with delight. She understands that letting go is not the same as giving up, in or out. It is, rather, the ability to transcend faltering expectations to see the good that remains: to allow the shadows to be without taking the light for granted.
Others may not care or understand. No matter. She is beyond submitting that which matters most to the judgment of others. No need to explain, defend or excuse. How brightly her eyes do shine!
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