The Latin word for window is “fenestra.” The old English word for window, “eagbyrl,” means “eye-door.” Just like a door, it can be used for peeking out…
…or peeking in.
Whether you are looking in or out, there are so many things to see, just behind the glass.
The earliest windows were holes in a wall.
Narrow slits, to let in a bit of light with the cold air or to shoot an arrow through.
The ancient Romans were the first to use glass.
Then came windows of animal horn or hides, cloth, and in the Far East, even paper.
The Inuit people say, “Don’t let the window of your home be so small that the light of the sun cannot enter.”
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross said people are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out…
…but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed.
In the Ukraine they say you don’t really see the world, if you look only through your own window.
And what a world there is out there to see!
There is another old saying, “The eyes are the window to the soul.”
…and one that says a smile is a window on your face to show your heart is at home.
The world on either side of your window can be sad…
…distant…
…daunting…
…and scary.
All the more reason to let the light in.
Let your window’s light shine like a beacon…
…and reflect upon the beauty of our world.
All the windows of the world!
All words and images copyright Naomi Baltuck
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