Helen Keller may not have had the gift of sight, but she certainly had the gift of insight. Her sense of what was beautiful came from her heart and soul. How many of us can say that?
A blush pink Arizona sunset, a Jacaranda tree in bloom, a string of black pearls, a field of daisy's blowing in a warm summer breeze. All beautiful to someone. Even Andy Warhol's take on the Campbell's soup can was beautiful to Warhol collectors, and to those who don't fancy his work, maybe it's just a painting of a can. After all, beauty's in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?
As for me, a certain airplane painted for Continental Airlines in honor of the Millennium by the pop culture icon/artist Peter Max was, and in my memory remains, beautiful. I first saw a photo of this Boeing 777 jet just over nine years ago when my now-husband showed me a picture of her, then gifted me with a miniature version. I was in love. With the airplane, not quite yet the man. And even though the plane's been stripped of its colorful paintjob (a necessity for some required inspection), a model of the plane autographed by Peter Max sits proudly in our livingroom, reminding me of the beautiful colorful bird she will always be to me.
Last weekend I got to experience beauty of another sort when I met our twin infant granddaughters; Olivia Marie and Ava Danielle. Born near the end of August, the girls are absolutely adorable with their dark eyes and downy soft dark hair. Looking down at my new granddaughters sleeping in my arms, I was overwhelmed at their simple beauty and the joy I felt in just watching them sleep.
I see beauty in a book, an old photo, a handcrafted piece of old lace, a lovingly decorated cake, a basket full of veggies plucked fresh from my own garden, the lithe body of one of my three cats. There's the beauty of a wrinkled face that's witnessed nearly 90 years of life, and the gold wedding band placed on her hand with love, and worn thin with time. Beauty doesn't have to be complex, it doesn't necessarily come with a hefty pricetag, and it needn't be bought. It can be as simple as a bowl of fresh lemons on the kitchen counter, or the smile of someone you love.
I have to admit that some days I'm far too wrapped up in life's challenges (and the occasional gray cloud or two) to see the beauty that's so obviously there. But I've decided to make more of an effort to take notice of what's beautiful in my life, and I invite you to do the same. Life's short, far too short to miss such gifts.
Below are some of my favorite "beauties".
