In my own worst seasons I've come back from the colorless world of despair by forcing myself to look hard, for a long time, at a single glorious thing: a flame of red geranium outside my bedroom window. And then another: my daughter in a yellow dress. And another: the perfect outline of a full, dark sphere behind the crescent moon. Until I learned to be in love with my life again. Like a stroke victim retraining new parts of the brain to grasp lost skills, I have taught myself joy, over and over again{15}.
In her work "High Tide in Tucson," Barbara Kingsolver reflects on overcoming despair by focusing intently on beautiful aspects of life, even in her darkest moments. She uses simple yet vivid imagery, such as a red geranium, her daughter, and the moon, to illustrate how concentrating on beauty can help revive a sense of joy and appreciation for life. This practice allowed her to retrain her perspective and foster happiness amidst difficulties.
Kingsolver likens this process to rehabilitation after a stroke, where one must regain lost skills. By persistently training her mind to find joy in small, glorious details, she found a path back to love for life. Through her experiences, she conveys a powerful message about the importance of mindfulness and the capacity to nurture one's happiness, even when faced with challenges.
