06/06/2026
I read a lot and today I read this and wanted to share it with each of you who read and follow our farm.
By MaryAnne Brown
Journal & Press
Over the years, I learned that eyes rarely lie. As a nurse, I spent countless hours caring for people whose lives had suddenly changed through illness, injury, or advancing age. Long before I reviewed a chart or heard a diagnosis, I often looked into a patient’s eyes. There I found messages that words could not fully express.
I saw fear in the eyes of someone awaiting surgery, anxiety in a newly diagnosed patient struggling to absorb difficult news, pain in someone whose discomfort could not be relieved quickly enough. Yet I also witnessed relief when treatment began to work, gratitude when a hand was held during a difficult moment, and joy when a patient realized recovery was within reach.
Some memories remain vivid years later. I remember a woman whose eyes softened when she finally accepted that her illness could not be cured. She had spent months fighting reality. Then one afternoon, after a heartfelt conversation with her family, something changed. Her eyes communicated peace before she ever spoke a word.
I remember the eyes of a husband sitting beside his wife’s hospital bed. He said very little, but his gaze conveyed a lifetime of devotion, gratitude, and understanding. No speech could have expressed it more clearly.
Eyes often reveal what resides in the heart.
These days, however, I notice something different in the eyes around me. At the grocery store, in waiting rooms, at community meetings, and even among friends, I see signs of weariness. Many people seem to be carrying invisible burdens. Their eyes speak of worry, uncertainty, and exhaustion. Some reflect anger. Others reveal confusion or discouragement. Many simply appear tired.
Perhaps it is not surprising. We live in challenging times. News reports bring stories of violence, division, corruption, economic uncertainty, and human suffering. Trust in institutions has weakened. Public discourse often feels more heated than thoughtful. People are understandably concerned about the future.
The result is a kind of spiritual fatigue. We begin to wonder who we can trust. We question whether our efforts make any difference. We feel tempted to withdraw from one another and retreat into discouragement.
So, what do we do? The answer may be simpler than we think. We begin by truly seeing one another again. We listen without judging. We offer encouragement where we can. We speak honestly but respectfully. We support organizations, leaders, and institutions that demonstrate integrity. We challenge dishonesty when we encounter it. We become active participants rather than passive observers. Most importantly, we refuse to surrender to cynicism.
Repair rarely begins in government offices, boardrooms, or institutions. It begins in ordinary conversations, neighborhoods, churches, schools, and families. It begins when people of goodwill decide that truth still matters, kindness still matters, and service still matters.
A short while ago, many of us observed Memorial Day. Flags were placed beside graves, ceremonies were held, and moments of silence invited us to remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation.
Yet perhaps Memorial Day was never meant to last only a single day.
The men and women we honor left us more than memories. They left us an example of courage, sacrifice, and commitment to something larger than themselves. Their legacy does not belong solely to a holiday weekend. It remains with us throughout the year, quietly asking what we will do with the freedoms and opportunities we have inherited.
When I think about those who served, I imagine determination in their eyes. I imagine individuals who faced uncertainty and fear but chose duty over comfort. Their example reminds us that difficult times are not new, and that every generation is called to contribute in its own way.
Our challenges today may be different, but our responsibility remains. We are called to strengthen what is good, repair what is broken, confront corruption where it exists, and help restore trust in our political, civic, institutional, and spiritual life. Not through anger alone, but through perseverance, honesty, and hope.
Perhaps the greatest way to honor those we remember is not simply to look back, but to carry their example forward. May others find in our eyes not only concern for the world’s troubles, but also compassion, courage, and resolve. After all, the eyes still have it—if we are willing to truly see one another again
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