Clarity Removed: Choosing Joy Without Answers
- Melanie
- May 20
- 2 min read
Updated: May 29
Sometime ago I had a very special patient. She and her brother left a deep impression on me. She was weak but she didn’t look afraid as they shared that they were awaiting the results of a biopsy that might confirm a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her health was fragile, her body weakened—but her spirit? Bright and warm.
Her brother sat beside her, as he did for hours every day. Their bond was tender, playful, and rich with inside jokes. In the corner of the hospital room was a pile of toys, games, and tools he had created—silly contraptions meant to help her stay strong, mentally sharp, and most of all, smiling.
She grinned and tapped her forehead. “He’s determined I’m going to say sharp through this!”
I found myself a little surprised by the one thing they insisted on showing me: a couple pairs of ridiculous, oversized party glasses—glittery, star-covered, gaudy in the best way. No lenses. Just empty frames.
They laughed as they described wearing them to “stay positive,” telling doctors, “We’ve removed the lenses so we can focus on this moment, not the future. Why worry about clarity when you can see beauty?”
This struck me.
People often talk about seeing life through “rose-colored glasses.” But this was different. These two had taken the lenses out altogether. No filters. No illusions. Just a raw, unfiltered commitment to joy in the middle of uncertainty.
They weren’t pretending things were okay. They just chose to be together—to be present, to laugh, to create something beautiful even as they waited for hard news. I never knew what her diagnosis was. But I knew this: their love made the room feel bright. In my memory, they were utterly radiant. Not because they had perfect clarity—but because they didn’t need it to choose joy.
What would it look like to remove the lenses in your life and just be present?”
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