Beauty . . .

The silent balm that waits for us

Beautiful Blue © Kathryn LeRoy

Hello friend,

I pulled out of the drive and looked up. Nothing but blue sky.

After a week of gloomy days with nothing but cold, drizzle, and clouds, I had come across a “beauty emergency*.” Not that I couldn’t find beauty in dew drops clinging tenaciously from a barren branch, but blue sky?

Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of opposites in a world that seems to overflow with news ranging from bad to awful to absurd. I needed, wanted, longed for just that—blue sky.

I opened my eyes and received what nature graciously gave, all because I was willing to see. The beauty didn’t stop with the lovely sunny day.

And wait…there’s more.

Daffodil © Kathryn LeRoy

Paperwhites emerge from the darkness. Green stems of the daffodils promise a small plot of dazzling yellow. Roses hint at blossoms to come.

And the weeds, bless their little hearts, remain happy to thrive in the rich soil.

I see deer tracks reminding me of the life living around me unfettered by worldly worries. Our neighbor’s dog barks to let me know he sees me, happy to also be in the sun under the wide open horizon.

Asleep © Kathryn LeRoy

My message for today is simple. No matter what challenges you face, however large or small, beauty waits for you to notice. You may not have deer or daffodils, but maybe beauty lives in the faces of a neighbor, your cat, the view from an open window, or a hug from someone you love.

I will defer to the poet, John Keats:

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

Go out there and find yourself a “beauty emergency!”

Beauty in the Louvre © Kathryn LeRoy

When hope seems hidden, I turn to my garden.

“Nature’s beauty can be fleeting—but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens.” He speaks of Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. Truly a balm.

Musical beauty: Beautiful Day, Live Every Moment, and as much as I love Louis Armstrong’s version of What a Wonderful World, Jon Batiste gives an equally beautiful and unique musical rendition.

“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.”―Louisa May Alcott

“An act of beauty is sometimes our last weapon. Clinging to the beautiful, our only resistance.”—Hannah Lillith Assadi

Moonglow © Kathryn LeRoy

If you would like to read more from me, visit my website. I’ll be waiting for you there.

With gratitude and hope,

Kathryn

* A phrase coined by the son of poet, Maggie Smith.

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