When I was a child, my understanding of colors was quite limited. I only knew a few basic ones until my mother bought me an eight-color box of crayons. That little box opened up a world of creativity for me. Soon, I moved on to a 16-color set, amazed by the new shades I could now use. Back then, I knew that 32-color and even 48-color crayon boxes existed, but they were beyond what my parents could afford. Still, I cherished the colors I had and made the most of them.
As a child, decisions were simple. I didn’t have a multitude of choices to weigh. My world was straightforward—things were either a Yes or a No, a Black or a White. There were clear rules, and life seemed easier that way. But as I grew older, I began to encounter a phrase that changed everything: "It depends."
Suddenly, answers were no longer absolute. There were no more definitive Yeses or Nos. The clarity of black and white was replaced by the complexity of gray. Life became nuanced, filled with endless possibilities, circumstances, and considerations. Decisions required more thought, and I had to learn to navigate uncertainty.
At first, this shift was unsettling. I longed for the simplicity of my childhood, when right and wrong were as clear as the difference between red and blue. But over time, I realized that the richness of life comes from its complexity. Just as an artist needs a broad palette to create a masterpiece, we need various perspectives and experiences to truly understand the world.
Learning to embrace the gray areas of life has taught me patience, empathy, and wisdom. It has helped me see that not everything has a straightforward answer and that sometimes, the best choices require careful thought and understanding. The child in me still finds comfort in the simple clarity of a Yes or No, but the adult in me appreciates the beauty of all the shades in between.
