The "Art" of
the world around us, naturally occurring and only waiting to be discovered . .
. I think taking a moment to have a relationship with 7 items of beauty is a
good start. I'll take notes and bring you back my findings next
week.
(I really hope some of
you might share yours as well...?)
So -- here's my
challenge to you, Dear Reader --
I want you to find:
1.
A beautiful line
(could be the curl of a
wisp of smoke, the curve of a lover's smile, or the silhouette of a tree-branch
against a January sky, for instance)
Winter ice crystals
2. A beautiful
sound
(maybe a laugh, a
symphony, birdsong, or something you've never heard before)
JDB’s giggle
3. A beautiful color
(even winter gray can be lovely, when adequately savored)
Flicker helping herself
to left-over plums
4. A beautiful
turn-of-phrase
(pay attention to the
dance of words for a change, and notice the ones that create an immediate spark
when they brush up against one another)
19 Hast thou given the horse strength?
hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Canst thou make him afraid as
a grasshopper? the glory of
his nostrils is terrible.
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not
affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth
against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
24 He swalloweth the ground with
fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of
the captains, and the shouting. Job
39:19-25 KJV
5. A beautiful
thought
(think one yourself, or look and listen --
people have them all the time)
Age is not
determined by the passing of years, but by our reactions to new ideas—our
resistance to change. People grow old
through their encasement in the past—not in their hopes for the future. Years may wrinkle the skin; but to give up
faith, courage, ambition, enthusiasm for the future, and the spark of
continuing growth wrinkles the soul.
The best remedy
for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside somewhere where
they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is
as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple
beauty of nature. As long as this
exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be
comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. Anne
Frank
6. A beautiful
movement
(particularly expressive
of grace, or energy, or emotion)
7. A beautiful
moment
Finding and listing these seven items of beauty was a challenge but not in the way I expected. The difficulty was narrowing my list down to one entry in each category. Thanks, Susan, for the reminder that beauty exists in abundance.
