Sometimes, the things closest to us are the ones we struggle to truly see.

There’s a Korean saying — 등잔 밑이 어둡다 — “it’s dark under the lamp.”

It means the brightest light can shine outward, reaching far beyond itself… yet the space right beneath it remains in shadow.

And isn’t that how life works sometimes?

We notice what’s far away — the big dreams, the distant problems, the people outside our immediate circle who seem to need us. We give, we help, we stretch ourselves, trying to bring light wherever we can. But the parts of our own lives that sit closest to our heart? The people right beside us? The needs within our own soul?

Those are often the ones we overlook.

Not because we don’t care.

But because closeness creates familiarity… and familiarity creates blind spots.

We get so used to certain people always being there — the steady friends, the quiet supporters, the ones who rarely ask for anything — that we forget they need warmth and tenderness too. Sometimes the people we assume are “fine” are quietly carrying the heaviest weight.

And the same is true for ourselves.

We rush through our days trying to be strong for everyone else that we don’t even notice where our own heart is dimming, or where we’ve been standing in the shadows far too long.

Maybe the lesson in this old proverb is not just about awareness — but about tenderness.

A reminder to look closer.

To check the places in our life we’ve unknowingly left in the dark.

To appreciate the steady hearts we’ve taken for granted.

To soften toward the people closest to us, even when their needs are unspoken.

To pause long enough to ask ourselves, “What part of my own heart have I forgotten to care for?”

Sometimes the most important things — the ones that hold us, shape us, and love us — are right in front of us, waiting for us to truly see them again.

And when we do… it’s incredible how the smallest shift in attention can illuminate everything we thought we already understood.

A little more noticing.

A little more gentleness.

A little more gratitude for the tiny lights we’ve overlooked.

Because even under the lamp — in the place that should be brightest — a little intentional love can change everything.

Until next time,