Beyond Eyes

It's crazy the little things that can totally make your day.

It wasn't a bad day, not at all. I worked extra, and was actually productive through the whole stretch. My first class got canceled. I spent a good portion of the day deeply engrossed in a really excellent book. But I was feeling a little off--a little lonely--a bit tired and headache-y. Nothing to speak of, just a little hollow.

And it took the such a small thing to give me just the pick-me-up I needed. I stopped and chatted with an acquaintance on my way out of work. We talked for a bit, but his next words took me by surprise.

"You have the most beautiful eyes," he said. "I've never noticed it before, but your eyes are just beautiful."

It was a spontaneous and sincere compliment. He wasn't being flirtatious, which was good, because I wasn't really in the mood for that. What struck me the most, though, was this. I happened to know that this man has been going through a pretty rough time lately. It's so easy for us to only see ourselves when we're breaking inside. Here I was, knowing that he needed encouragement far more than I, and he was the one handing out happiness. His simple, kind words really made my day.

I wish that I was half as others-minded as he was today, and is on a regular basis. I wonder how many people are walking around behind a facade of contentment, needing little more than for someone to look into their eyes and actually see them.

I want to be that someone.