A wise man once said optimism is the beacon of hope. If you can face life optimistically, you will find that the world is really beautiful for true beauty is truly intrinsic.

Some years ago, my uncle fell off a ladder when he failed to stand firm while picking apples on a tree. My aunt rushed him to the hospital. When he arrived, the doctor examined my uncle’s injuries and recommended that he spend two weeks at the hospital.

My uncle was a very active man. When he was a young boy, he had helped his father plant the apple trees. Over time his father had grown older and aching bones prevented him from taking care of his most treasured possession.

So for years my uncle had taken care of the apple trees. His days were spent tending to the trees while his nights were spent picking the biggest shiniest apples to sell at the fruit market. Following the accident, my uncle had to hire a fruit farmer to help take care of his tree. He knew the fruit farmer could never love the apple trees as much as he loved them. There would be no long line of smiling facing in front of his fruit stand at the market anymore. In distress, he laid in the uncomfortable hospital bed inhaling the musty odor and missing his apple trees more than he’d ever imagined.

In the bed next to my uncle laid a young man.The young man's bed was near the window. Feeling a bit bored, my uncle asked the young man to look out of the window.

“What do you see?”

The young man smiled and told him that the sun was shining brightly: the flowers were in full bloom: and the children were flying kites on the grass. Not long after, the young man was escorted from the room by two nurses.

Excited by the description of the beautiful scenery outside, my uncle used his crutches to walk to the window. To his great surprise, there was only a white wall outside the window. He thought about what the young man said and felt very strange.

One of the nurses who had just helped the young man returned to the room. My  uncle told the nurse the story. The nurse smiled and then told my uncle that the young was blind. He had lost his vision several years ago.