Being invisible
I never liked being invisible. It could appear to be cool in the movies when someone has a special power like that. You could sneak in and listen to other people’s conversations. You could even escape from a powerful villain. But in real life, it doesn’t feel that way. In real life, to feel invisible is to feel worthless.
When you’re a quiet type of person like me, you can often feel invisible. You find yourself listening while others do the talking most of the time. You go to parties and you rarely grab the attention of someone you like.
But just because you rarely talk doesn’t mean you’re no longer there. Even an invisible person can be a good friend. Even an invisible person can do something worthwhile.
The song
As I listened to Bette Midler’s version of the song “Wind Beneath My Wings” while watching the movie Beaches this past week, I felt some sort of redemption. The song was somehow able to give a tribute to the “invisible people”, those who have often been overlooked, forgotten and cast aside. Finally, a piece about the quiet ones, the steady ones, the gentle ones.
It’s the kind of song that would remind you of a friend who has always been there for you. That friend who cheers you on when you’re down, celebrates your triumphs without giving in to envy, and lets you shine as she slips silently in the background.
Not everyone can shine like the sun, but some can be like little stars brightening the evening sky. Not everyone can be great leaders, but some can be good followers, giving you their unfailing loyalty and support.
Our silent heroes
I’m reminded of the many silent heroes of this world. Ordinary people whose names barely make it to the headlines. People who don’t have a million or so followers on social media.
We often talk about one famous person as though the future of the world depended upon him or her alone, but we rarely talk about others whose lives are equally important. We hardly notice them, but without them, how could the world ever survive?
Even in our personal lives, we have invisible heroes. A grandmother who cares lovingly for your child and takes care of him whenever you need to go out of town. An aunt who makes you smile whenever you feel the world has let you down. A stranger who helps you out without expecting anything in return.
Someone who sees
The song has brought me to that moment when someone finally turns around, takes me by the hand and tells me just how much he has appreciated me. To be seen, to be valued, to be loved – I can find no more words to describe how it feels.
I guess we all deserve that moment, that moment when we realize that someone has been watching us all along, and for that person, we are not invisible.
In the end
It’s no wonder that the song “Wind Beneath My Wings” has been among the most played songs at funerals according to a UK poll. Somehow, at the end of one’s life, we recognize a person for all that he has ever done. We remember the moments we have often overlooked. And maybe, for the first time, the person shines in such a way that he would never be forgotten, no longer hidden from our hearts and our minds.
How many people in your life appear to be invisible to you today? For many of us, they seem like the wind. The wind blows here and there, and we breathe it and it gives us life, and though we cannot see them, we can feel them, and it is only through them that we can fly!
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"