Without Sight
A young girl was born blind. And she hated herself for it.
She hated the fact that she couldn't see what colours there were out in the world, but only heard of it.
She hated the fact that she needed to depend on others for everything.
She hated the fact that other people treated her differently; they either pitied her, or shied away from her.
The only person who treated her kindly was her boyfriend.
He guided her everywhere she went.
He described to her the colours and beauty and nature that existed in the world that she could only imagine and not see.
He taught her to walk without fear, but with confidence.
He taught her not to give up, but to keep going.
That people like her deserved as much to be loved; that unselfish love such as theirs truly existed.
Her boyfriend asked her one day, "Will you marry me?"
She was silent.
Then she replied, "I will only marry you after I see the world. I can't otherwise. I'm sorry."
Her boyfriend smiled at her like he always did, and she didn't feel so guilty about turning him down.
Then a blessing arrived at her doorstep.
She was going to receive a pair of eyes from an anonymous donor!
Finally she will be able to see!
Her boyfriend held her hand as she was wheeled into the operation room.
"I love you, " he told her.
She nodded, too excited to respond.
Everything went smoothly, the operation was successful.
Her boyfriend was by her side, once again guiding her as she made her way to full recovery.
And when the bandages over her eyes were removed, she was overwhelmed by the sight that met her eyes.
Out in a park, she could finally see blues, and greens, and reds, as vibrant as if it were freshly painted with the expert hand of a professional artist.
The world was beautiful. Even more beautiful than what her boyfriend had described.
She turned to her boyfriend, a wide smile on her face.
And her smile stood frozen.
Her boyfriend's eyes were covered with heavy, thick bandages.
His face seemed drawn with deep lines, but his lips were turned up, a small smile.
She was speechless.
Her boyfriend -- who had told her of the young buds of flowers blooming in spring, the rich brown of leaves falling in autumn, the blinding white of snow in winter, the golden sun of summer -- is blind?
How could this be? How is this possible?
He groped for her hand, his smile widening.
"Now that you have seen the world, will you marry me?"
She was dumbstruck.
She found herself hesitating.
He is blind.
How will our life together be like?
He'll have no choice but to depend on me for everything.
There will have to be many sacrifices. By me.
She looked down to the ground.
Despite knowing that her boyfriend could not see her face, she still did not dare look him in the eye.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I can't."
She dropped his hand.
A smile still on his face, he nodded.
He put a hand up to her face, touched her cheek, pushed her hair back from her face.
She was selfish, she knew. But she couldn't do what he had always done for her.
She just couldn't.
He kissed the palm of her hand, turned around and left without another word.
He disappeared. She could not find him.
He was gone.
A week later, she received a letter addressed to her from him.
Tearing the letter free, she read,
"Take good care of those eyes of yours, my darling. For before they were yours, they were once mine.
I love you."
Her hand trembled and the letter fell from her hand.
p.s: Adapted from a forwarded email
She hated the fact that she couldn't see what colours there were out in the world, but only heard of it.
She hated the fact that she needed to depend on others for everything.
She hated the fact that other people treated her differently; they either pitied her, or shied away from her.
The only person who treated her kindly was her boyfriend.
He guided her everywhere she went.
He described to her the colours and beauty and nature that existed in the world that she could only imagine and not see.
He taught her to walk without fear, but with confidence.
He taught her not to give up, but to keep going.
That people like her deserved as much to be loved; that unselfish love such as theirs truly existed.
Her boyfriend asked her one day, "Will you marry me?"
She was silent.
Then she replied, "I will only marry you after I see the world. I can't otherwise. I'm sorry."
Her boyfriend smiled at her like he always did, and she didn't feel so guilty about turning him down.
Then a blessing arrived at her doorstep.
She was going to receive a pair of eyes from an anonymous donor!
Finally she will be able to see!
Her boyfriend held her hand as she was wheeled into the operation room.
"I love you, " he told her.
She nodded, too excited to respond.
Everything went smoothly, the operation was successful.
Her boyfriend was by her side, once again guiding her as she made her way to full recovery.
And when the bandages over her eyes were removed, she was overwhelmed by the sight that met her eyes.
Out in a park, she could finally see blues, and greens, and reds, as vibrant as if it were freshly painted with the expert hand of a professional artist.
The world was beautiful. Even more beautiful than what her boyfriend had described.
She turned to her boyfriend, a wide smile on her face.
And her smile stood frozen.
Her boyfriend's eyes were covered with heavy, thick bandages.
His face seemed drawn with deep lines, but his lips were turned up, a small smile.
She was speechless.
Her boyfriend -- who had told her of the young buds of flowers blooming in spring, the rich brown of leaves falling in autumn, the blinding white of snow in winter, the golden sun of summer -- is blind?
How could this be? How is this possible?
He groped for her hand, his smile widening.
"Now that you have seen the world, will you marry me?"
She was dumbstruck.
She found herself hesitating.
He is blind.
How will our life together be like?
He'll have no choice but to depend on me for everything.
There will have to be many sacrifices. By me.
She looked down to the ground.
Despite knowing that her boyfriend could not see her face, she still did not dare look him in the eye.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I can't."
She dropped his hand.
A smile still on his face, he nodded.
He put a hand up to her face, touched her cheek, pushed her hair back from her face.
She was selfish, she knew. But she couldn't do what he had always done for her.
She just couldn't.
He kissed the palm of her hand, turned around and left without another word.
He disappeared. She could not find him.
He was gone.
A week later, she received a letter addressed to her from him.
Tearing the letter free, she read,
"Take good care of those eyes of yours, my darling. For before they were yours, they were once mine.
I love you."
Her hand trembled and the letter fell from her hand.
p.s: Adapted from a forwarded email
© LISA KWAN 2011 ; All rights reserved.
Comments
'awww~~'
not the stereotype
leaves you thinking after reading
many real struggles
humanity
the 'saintly' sacrificial love in action
how deep the love that gives
reminds me of God 's agape love for humanity...
thanks for sharing it