The Window

I left the window open just a crack.

The room was precious to me, the insides fragile and invaluable. It took years to collect and to craft that room.

I was afraid what would happen if someone stepped inside. Would they be gentle with the contents, appreciate them, and treat them with the honor they deserved? Or would they fail to see their beauty and toss them carelessly around?

But what if no one ever entered? Would that make the room less valuable? Is there even beauty if another never sees?

I could see the value in that room. I hoped others might too. So I left that window open just a crack. Most days, people walked by and failed to see the beauty. Once in a while, something would catch a person’s eye, causing them to pause and gaze at the window for a moment. But inevitably, their attention was soon pulled somewhere else, causing them to move along.

I began to think that nobody would ever see that room. I wondered if there was really ever any beauty to be seen. Had I crafted it all in my imagination? Could I even trust myself to know what beauty really was?

But one foggy day, I could see someone approaching slowly. Something caught their eye causing them to pause. I was certain that they would move on quickly, their attention redirected back to the road. But instead they lingered, staring at the window, as though admiring something from afar. I wondered what had caught their eye, if they would dare come closer. But instead, they stood there frozen, continuing to peer from afar.

I too stood there peering out the window, wondering if they might ever approach. And as I did, something changed inside me, a new boldness coming forth. And slowly, I began to lift that window, allowing it to open wide. And as I did, the treasure long contained began to spill out the window, painting a magnificent picture in the sky. For the witness of another had freed that beautiful treasure from deep inside my soul.