By now you know that I often select as a favorite photo something that reminds me of a human eye. This one could be an abstract pupil with a deep blue iris.
But that’s not the main reason I chose this featured photo. I like the ripple effect. You’ve probably thrown a pebble into a river and watched the ripple grow larger until it seems to reach the other side.
People with strabismus sometimes feel shut out. Perhaps we feel shut out socially because of our appearance. Or perhaps we feel shut out because of double vision that hinders us. Sometimes we may be shut out from educational or job-related opportunities. Because of my strabismus, I was shut out from the nursing school I had originally chosen. Why can’t someone send a ripple our way instead of shutting us out of their circle?
But that is the wrong question to ask. Why can’t we start our own ripple? Why can’t we draw our own circle? Why wait for someone else to determine our happiness? I’m reminded of a poem that I memorized in high school:
Outwitted
He drew a circle that shut me out–
Heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!— by Edwin Markham
Instead of feeling shut out, let’s start ripples of love by reaching out to others who need our kindness today!
Photo credit: zhang jing
