Colorful

 

"Peace begins with a smile" - Mother Teresa

     Not every day is going to be the best day. You may be dealing with unpleasant things that get you down. I discovered that I did not win a flash fiction contest. It was an international contest with many entries, so winning was unlikely, but I still had hope. Today, I had to let that hope go. This is the life of an author. There will be frequent rejection. That's okay, I am very resilient. That doesn't mean that I wasn't disappointed.

     It was Halloween and our team decided to dress as crayons. I decided to be pink after being hassled for selecting black. I don't blame the teammate for hassling me. People see my light, while I feel my darkness. If I am going to shine, then I am going to shine in the brightest way that I can. I decided to wear a pink wig. I decided to bring color to the world in an unexpected way.

     The results were more significant than I anticipated. You see, I was very caught up in thinking about things that I have been unable to solve at work or the contest that I failed to win. There is something else that I totally lost sight of. Two of my favorite movies explore this theme.

     The first is Amelie. If I were any fictional character, I would be Amelie. Her purpose in life is to bring color to the lives of others in small ways. In the scene below she sees a blind man and offers him a glimpse of sight through her compassion. Like Amelie, I really like to bring joy to others. There is nothing better than seeing someone smile because of something that I was able to do.

     The second movie is the Joy Luck Club. June feels inferior because her cousin Waverly is so accomplished compared with her. She feels like she is a disappointment. Spoiler ahead, after dinner her mother reminds her of her value. "I SEE you."

     I don't think we value the heart in our society as much as we value the mind, but believe me, it is important. When we bring our heart and mind together the most amazing things can be accomplished. Working in healthcare, I think of this every day. I don't work with patients, that is not my calling. Yet, I often think of them and if what I am doing will help them even in a small way.     

     What does all of this have to do with today? My wig made so many people smile, both my teammates and strangers. Maybe someone was having a bad day and that few seconds of smile took them out of that mindset. My simple act of wearing the pink wig lets people know that it is okay to have fun at any age and at any size. 

     I spent a large part of my life hiding. It was liberating to step out and be noticed. I don't have to hide anymore. Maybe someone else had that thought today, and that would be wonderful. I didn't wear a pink wig, I spread joy. I would have loved to have won the contest or solved my work challenges, but I am going to take the win on sharing my color with others.