From that first day, Molly was never without her great-grandmother’s spectacles. She kept them safe, wrapped in a grey felt bag and tied up with a red string, tucked away in her apron pocket. Whenever Molly put the spectacles on, the people she saw through the lenses always looked so different. Not because the lenses were for someone with very different eyesight, but because it seemed each time that she looked around her, she could just see more. It felt to Molly as though she were able to see deeper into things, sense things differently. When she took the glasses off, the world and the people she saw seemed to retreat to a less shiny self. Molly wondered about this new sensitivity and awareness that came to her whenever she wore the spectacles. The intensity of color, the sensations and emotions that filled her whenever she put on Great-Grandma Ethel’s glasses and looked at the people around her, felt more meaningful than anything she had experienced before.
For Molly, the spectacles remained a wonderful mystery that filled her mind with questions. Why did she see so many colors? What did the many colors she saw really mean? Often during the day, she would slip the spectacles from her apron pocket and, placing them gently on her nose, look carefully around. The sky, the earth, the trees, and birds would all remain the same, but when Molly looked at her father Ari, she was aware of a gentle warmth spreading through her body. She felt safe and protected and laughter bubbled up inside her. The color that surrounded him and floated just above his head was a verdant emerald green. Moriah’s color was blue, as soft as the sky, roiling and gusting and changing to deep marine, swirling in waves all around her. Molly felt an intensity of love and comfort that filled her so completely that even after she had put the glasses back in her apron pocket, the glow of what she had experienced remained with her. Each day as she went about her chores in the house, barn, or garden, Molly was happy. When she visited her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends, the happiness and love she felt inside bubbled over and everyone loved her.
Molly always enjoyed watching the fruits and vegetables grow in the garden, but she loved going to town best. She looked forward to the end of each week with excitement, because everyone in the village attended market day. The night before market day was always very busy. The family worked together to fill their little wagon with all it could carry, and in the back of the wagon there were crates and baskets. Some of the crates were filled with potatoes, some with vegetables, and some were filled with cheese wrapped in cloth. There were also large tins of milk and eggs for sale or trade.
In the morning, the family rose early and dressed quickly. Ari hitched the horse to the wagon and helped Moriah and Molly up onto the front seat. The cart shifted and bumped over the long country road. Molly couldn’t wait to get to town. She put her hands deep inside her pocket and felt the spectacles that she always kept with her. Her father began to whistle. Her mother began to sing:
Molly’s the girl with thirty-five names,
Given with love, not one the same
Each name is a special message, each name a brand new page
A journey of discovery, a new beginning, a new age.
Thirty-five names made you special. There is no one else like you.
Follow your heart and let your strengths shine through.
Molly is the girl with thirty-five names. There is no one else like you.
Molly always loved to hear that song, and she laughed along with her parents as they finished.
“Can you even remember all of my names?“ asked Molly.
“I have them all written down and safely kept,” replied Moriah giving Molly a hug, “I just have to remember where!”
Molly looked from her mother to her father and her blue eyes grew large. “Oh you don’t really mean …?” Molly began. Then she saw a grin growing from the corner of her father’s mouth.“Moriah!” laughed Ari, giving his wife a soft push on her shoulder. Then they all began to laugh and sing.“Molly’s the girl with thirty-five names …”