The Eyes Have It

Of all the features on the face, I think the eyes are the most expressive. They are the gatekeepers of the light and windows on the world. They can express fear, tears, and cheers in a way that is remarkable for minimally moving parts of the body. Side to side, up and down. Basic motions necessary for our vision, but they are indicators of so much more.

In Proverbs, eyes are mentioned at the top of the list of abominations. Haughty eyes that is. Haughty is a word we don't hear anymore. Prideful, snobbish, arrogant are all words that come to mind, but I think haughty is the best one to use in describing eyes. When I hear the word haughty, I can see the eyes peering straight down the nose at someone or something with half lidded look of detest for effect. I have looks like that called chilling or belittling. As if the look in itself can put the other person in "their place". That "place" being where the haughty person chooses to place them in "their" scheme of things.

And in the same breath, the eyes can totally take you out of your place. A friend of mine was going through treatment for breast cancer. She was being treated at a world renown cancer treatment center. As I accompanied her through the halls the hospital, there were so many people with masks. During chemo, at times your immune system is weak and you are very vulnerable to infections. So folks wear masks to ward off communicable viruses, colds, etc. Being at the start of her treatment, it was a sad reminder of what might be facing her in the near future.

Everyone avoided looking at the folks in the masks and subsequently the masked folks avoided making eye contact. I am sure, when they first started wearing them, they tried but all they saw was pity and pain, especially from those they loved. That was the last thing they wanted to see, so they just avoided it altogether. That really made me sad, so I just started smiling at them. Of greeting them and noticing that they were there, even saying "Hi".

It was amazing to see them smile. No - I did not see the upturned mouths or brightness of their teeth, but I could see it in the eyes. The crinkled skin at the corners, the light that emanated from the eyes themselves. It became a game for my friend and I. A wonderful relief from the sadness and pain that surrounded us all. That there was truly a life not only after cancer but in the very midst of it. That you could smile again. And again. And again.