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The
universe is extremely generous. Beauty abounds in the most
surprising locales and within even the most soul-searing
experiences. We simply need to look for beauty and take
the time to appreciate and digest what we see. I agree
with Magaret Wolfe Hunerford's quote "Beauty is in the eye
of the beholder" and would add that beauty is also in the
beholder's ability to see.
The other
night I was gifted with an unexpected beauty when I took our
little dog, Lily, out to her piddle place, a fenced-in area
behind the house. It is hidden from the road and
"landscaped" meagerly with rocks. Its sole
decoration is the garbage can. Expecting the same old
bedtime routine, I was blessed by beauty instead.
The
streetlight, which goes on and off sporadically, was
backlighting the brand-new, fuzzy catkins on our neighbors'
aspen tree. They looked as if they were encased in
sparkling ice, shimmering and dancing in the early spring
breeze. An awed "Ahhhhhh" escaped as I
exhaled. While Lily did what she was supposed to do, I
turned off our light, etched the beauty of the lighted catkins
in my mind's eye, and whispered a prayer of gratitude for a
lovely surprise in such an everyday place and action.
While the
beauty of the illuminated aspen would have been hard to ignore,
I easily could have done just that before making the promise to
myself to lead a more mindful, appreciative, and in-the-moment
life.
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