Seeing your world through different eyes 2

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Sometimes a friend visits and brings a breath of fresh air to your life. Through her eyes, you see your world differently.  You are reminded why you fell in love with your home, your neighborhood, your city.


She is excited by things you take for granted: 



  • the rapid transit system (buses and trains),
  • the universities (so many of them on your tour from Cambridge to Boston),
  • the architecture (from grand Victorians to brownstones to triple-deckers – a housing type she’s never seen in the Midwest),
  • the green spaces throughout the city (thanks to the Emerald Necklace designed by Frederick Law Olmstead),
  • the availability of seafood,
  • the fall foliage, 
  • the local neighborhood restaurants and sub-shops.

Your furniture and paintings are familiar and old to your eyes, but they are new and lovely to her.  You see the mismatched furniture blended when you and your husband combined households.  You know what you plan to do when you can get that chair reupholstered or buy a new couch.  She sees the loveliness of the art work and feels the happiness and peace your home contains.


Because of her visit, you, some friends, and your husband go dancing, something none of you have done in some time.  The same old place has actually remodeled since last you were there.  Back in the day turns out to be last Saturday with familiar, classic dance songs mixed with in with new music.  There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a group of people out dancing, having fun, with the cares of the world momentarily suspended.


Various people come up to the table all night and say hi to each of us at the table.  “I haven’t seen you in so long…”   “I thought you had moved…”  “Man, it’s good to see you!”  It is good to see familiar faces.


Of course, you have to recover from the whirlwind, non-stop activity of the weekend but it is a “good tired” you feel.  Better to “wear-out than rust-out” as my sister always says.

Thank you for your visit, P.  It was just what I needed.

About Candelaria Silva

Candelaria Silva-Collins is a marketing, community outreach and programming consultant; writer; and trainer/facilitator who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She has designed and facilitated workshops on a wide variety of topics including communication, facilitation, job search skills, team building, and parenting issues. She currently coordinates the Community Membership Program of the Huntington Theatre Company. Her work as Director of ACT Roxbury was profiled in several publications, including The Creative Communities Builders Handbook. Candelaria’s children’s stories, short stories, essays and reviews have been published in local and national publications and she is an active blogger. Her publications include the booklets, Handling Rejection; Pushing through Shyness: Networking Tips when You’re Shy, Slow to Warm Up or Just don’t Feel you Belong; and Real Questions about Sex & Relationships for Teens: A Discussion Guide for Parents. She has served on the boards of Goddard College, Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston Foundation for Architecture, and Discover Roxbury. She is currently Chair, Designators of the Henderson Foundation.

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2 thoughts on “Seeing your world through different eyes”

  • Reply ↓
    Frieda

    What a beautiful visit and your description of it, maybe that is what I need to get me started on getting our apartment back in shape–a friend’s visit.
    Wouldn’t work in my case though, too many boxes, too many piles, too many of everything. Well for almost a minute I closed my eyes and thought I could do it. Que vida!