As I sit down to write and cast about for a subject, my eyes are caught by the cover of this journal. The intricate pattern of silver and copper lines shifts colors as I move it and the sunlight from the window strikes it at different angles.
I bought the
journal for its beauty, but other beauties come into my life unsought: the sunlight
after rain, the plant life in my neighborhood, the textures and colors of a small
purse that turned up in my bureau long after I’d forgotten how it got there.
Beauty is
nearly everywhere I look if I’m of a mind to see it – or hear it, taste it,
feel or smell it, or even read about it. Like a shy pet, it waits for a moment
of calm, a sliver of attention, a hint of openness.
It’s easy to
block beauty out. I can be all wrapped up in something else: a grievance,
fright, or worry, a painful juncture in a relationship, or some issue with my body. Life is
full of distractions from beauty, even if they are chores or other matters that
must be attended to. By all means, we take care of the needful things. But then
we can look up, or take a break, and see, hear, feel, taste, or smell something
that feeds our soul.
