14. Ultraviolet

I read “Gratitude” by Delphine de Vigan feeling a kind of heaviness in my heart. It’s a rather sad story but also I feel strongly for old people in pain and alone in general. Just writing these words makes me shiver. The story, or let me say, the life of the person who becomes the main character of this book is being told from many different perspectives. As life is slowly draining out of her body, so are her memories, her mind, her emotions and will. We have the privilege to witness different persons living and perceiving the same experience. As if looking at a kaleidoscope, we get glimpses here and there of what this person might have been, done, felt before having arrived at the end of her Human journey. But everyone sees what they can, what their mind allows them to see. And so, we as readers are given the task of drawing conclusions. The task of understanding. The process of living being the ultimate endurance test, it is inevitable that at the end we will be scared, will lose our minds and everything we might have clung to while being young and strong. The process of reading about it is just as sad as it sounds. This books is spreading hope - that in a world as busy, fragmented and as crazy as ours, someone is still taking the time to reflect about things passed and their meanings. But it also brings up that sadness I told you about. I guess, Life in general has that effect on me, if I really think about it, or if I really feel into it.