Life in Pink
The well-known French song, “La Vie en Rose,” translates to “life in pink,” or sometimes “seeing life through rose-colored glasses.” It was written in 1945 by Edith Piaf, still revered as a national treasure in France. She wrote the song at the very end of WWII, as the years of suffering, weariness, turmoil, and grief came to a close. The song speaks of a love so encompassing that, in spite of weariness and grief, the whole world suddenly appears as a beautiful place. It implies love is the one ingredient that helps us transcend pain and grief if we filter our seeing through it.
“Many things begin with seeing in the world,” said British artist Lilias Trotter. When we can begin seeing through eyes of love, suddenly our vision is expanded. Not only are we able to see the world as a more beautiful place, tinted with joys unseen otherwise, but we are able to see deeper, see more than we could without it. Love not only suffuses the world around us with rosy hues, it is a vital ingredient to seeing well. Seeing through eyes of love—life in pink—we see what is there before us, and we also see further, beneath the surface. We can see what is there, and also what could be there! We see possibilities. We see potentials. We see beauties almost ready to blossom into being.
Only love can make things lovely.
~John Henry Jowett
Despite the weariness and grief we experience in our world, possibilities, potentials, and beauties exist here as well. Looking through eyes of love enables us to see these things. A love-lens gives greater vision. How far and how deep we see—that’s up to us. I, for one, choose to see life in pink, to look at the world around me with eyes willing to love and ready to see good. Life in pink – the world is a beautiful place!
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes –
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think,
But thousands can think for one who can see.
~Lilias Trotter
Yours, for the return of Grace, Civility, Beauty, Gentility, and Excellence,
Mary Alice
