Of Colors and Contrast

Intro by Skip Cohen

In 2012, just after the school shootings at Sandy Hook, Suzette Allen took the sadness she felt and wrote the post below.

Reading it recently, all I could think about was the pain of the pandemic and the level of pain and loss so many people have had to deal with. I love Suzette’s analogy and the simplicity of what she called the dichotomy of life.

There’s a new appreciation for so many things we took for granted. There’s a renewed sense of family and gratitude for friendships. And my favorite – there’s more optimism in the air as we all look towards the future.

As you read Suzette’s short post, pretend she wrote it this morning!

By Suzette Allen

It’s a sad day for so many families in Connecticut. I just want to look away and not let the sadness take me down. I silently look through pictures, praying for those families who lost little children today. I cannot imagine the pain.

Nothing stirs me, but I like the colors of this picture. It says nothing. It captures no emotion. It just quietly looks bright and cheery- not in my face, urging me to laugh and snap out of it, but gently showing the complementary colors, the contrast of textures, the graphic, the soft, the lights and dark.
Hmmm…The dichotomy of life…. the good and bad, the joy and sadness, the love and risk involved. All of the contrasts and contradictions come together to create a beautiful image, just like our lives. If it was all good, or all safe, it would be so blah. Just like there’s no victory without a fight!

I’m embracing the ups and downs, the laughter and tears, the light and dark, the joy and grief because it’s the balance of all that makes it beautiful and intriguing. If it was all orange, why would we continue to look and be fascinated?