To my young friends out there: Life can be great, but not when

“To my young friends out there: Life can be great, but not when you can’t see it. So, open your eyes to life: to see it in the vivid colors that God gave us as a precious gift to His children, to enjoy life to the fullest, and to make it count. Say yes to your life.” Thus spoke Nancy Reagan, a woman who walked through both splendor and shadow, who stood beside power yet never lost sight of the human heart. Her words, radiant with tenderness and truth, were born from a lifetime of witnessing joy, loss, struggle, and resilience. They are not the counsel of one untouched by sorrow, but of one who learned—through adversity—that even in pain, life remains sacred, and that to live fully is the greatest act of gratitude one can offer to the Creator.

To “open your eyes to life” is not merely to look, but to see—to awaken the inner vision that perceives meaning where others see only motion. Many walk through their days like sleepers, blinded by despair, fear, or indifference. They live surrounded by beauty yet cannot feel it, blessed by opportunity yet unable to grasp it. Mrs. Reagan’s plea is a call to awareness: to lift one’s gaze from the grayness of worry and behold the “vivid colors” of existence—the laughter of a friend, the gold of morning sunlight, the miracle of simply being alive. For life, she reminds us, is not an accident but a gift—a sacred inheritance from God Himself.

Her words echo the wisdom of the ancients. The philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” Like Nancy Reagan, he too urged humanity to awaken from dullness, to perceive the divine splendor in ordinary moments. Both voices remind us that despair blinds the soul more surely than darkness blinds the eye. When we lose sight of wonder, we begin to die while still breathing. Thus, the act of truly seeing—of opening the eyes of the heart—is an act of revival, a return to life’s sacred rhythm.

Consider the story of Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf from infancy. By every earthly measure, she seemed condemned to isolation. Yet through the patience of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, she learned not only to communicate but to see the world in her own transcendent way. She once wrote, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.” In her blindness, she saw more deeply than many who possess sight. Helen Keller lived Nancy Reagan’s wisdom before the words were spoken: she said yes to life, though life had denied her much, and in doing so, became a beacon of courage for generations.

The origin of Mrs. Reagan’s message lies not in philosophy alone, but in compassion. Throughout her years as First Lady, she witnessed the struggles of addiction, despair, and loss that plagued many young people. Her famous “Just Say No” campaign against drug abuse was not born from judgment, but from the belief that every young soul deserves the chance to “make life count.” This quote, spoken later in reflection, expands that message: it is not enough to reject what harms—you must also embrace what heals. To “say yes to your life” is to choose growth over stagnation, purpose over passivity, faith over fear.

The lesson, then, is clear and timeless: gratitude is the key to vision. When we give thanks, our eyes open. When we appreciate the color of existence—the joy, the pain, the mystery—we begin to live consciously, deeply, joyfully. The one who says “yes” to life does not deny hardship, but accepts it as part of a grand design. Life is not meant to be perfect; it is meant to be experienced—to be touched by love, carved by struggle, and ultimately illuminated by purpose.

So, my child, when you feel weary or blind to the beauty around you, remember Nancy Reagan’s counsel. Lift your eyes. Look upon your days as gifts, not burdens. When despair whispers that all is gray, search for the color—it is there, waiting to be seen. Speak with gratitude, act with compassion, dream with courage. Do not drift through life as a shadow, but stand in the sunlight of your own being.

For to say yes to your life is not merely to exist—it is to honor the divine artist who painted the world in color, and to walk within that masterpiece awake, aware, and alive. And when you do so, even the simplest moments—the sound of rain, the warmth of a smile, the beating of your heart—will reveal themselves as what they have always been: precious gifts, offered by God to those who have the courage to see.