EW14
THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011
health Live with eyes open
eyes together give us the full depth of vision. When my patients with myopia (needing glasses for distance vision) become pres-
We need two eyes to see fully. Though we can get by perfectly well with monocular vision, two
byopic (needing reading glasses), they sometimes choose to use a weaker lens for one eye. So instead of bifocals, they will have
monocular distance and near vision. Early fatherhood was a spiritual “eye opener” for me. The moment my first son
was born, I saw the world in a different way—through his eyes. Playing, teaching and growing with my three children in their early years
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opened my grownup eyes to a limitless vision of my world and our future. Through the eyes of a young child, the world is forever new, wide and wonderful. There is something new around every corner and in every moment. Life is one adventure after another. And those adventures are not hard to find—in a trip to the market, a walk in the park or a drive across town. There is wonder in the mundane: the shapes of clouds, the movements of an ant and the whirlpool in a flushed toilet bowl. Joy is found in life’s little nuisances: puddles of rain, a heavy snowfall and a pile of leaves. And love is found in the arms of a mother and father who accept and embrace all of you and love you just the way you are. As we grow up and grow busy, we become short and long-sighted. We see trees and streets, people and places differently. Sometimes we don’t see them at all. But if we’re lucky to live long enough and to grow with the experience of life, we can regain the eye of a child and discover the eye of an elder. The perspective of life lived promises— though doesn’t guarantee— wisdom. The eyes of wise elders see themselves and their past in the drama of youth and the stages of life around them. They see that many things have changed but the essentials remain the same. The wise elder knows that our days are numbered and the wonder, joy and love must be appreciated today. Each moment is enjoyed as it is. Each day seized and let go. The eye of the elder can see the true nature of things—what has value and what does not. They can see what is worth holding and what we must let go. We need two eyes to see fully. This week, see your world with both eyes. Look at others, yourself and your life with the wonder of a child and the wisdom of an elder. Live each day as if it was your first and your last, and treat the people you love accordingly. —Dr. Davidicus Wong Dr. Wong writes regularly for this paper. His daily insights into living a happier life can be found at davidicuswong.wordpress. com, acebook.com/davidicus.wong, and twitter.com/ drdavidicuswong.