Beauty All Around

Ding. Ding. Ding. Buzz. Buzz…

My eyes are so easy downcast, mesmerized

by that ever humming, lit-up screen that constantly begs for my attention.

Yet most times I surrender to it,

it leaves me bored, dissatisfied, annoyed…

Instead, when I step away and really look up, and am fully PRESENT…

I am amazed, in awe at the beauty all around:

those every day sights and sounds

that pull me in and fill me with wonder.

Beauty unfolds each morning

when I get up early enough to pause

at the stream on my way to work,

when sunbeams sleekly wrap around the grassy hillsides

with streaking ribbons of light.

Beauty unleashes from intricate designs

on the grand old granite buildings in old town

in a child’s sketchbook of thick lines and vibrant scribbles,

from the bold maroon and cerulean muraled faces

on the wall of a nail salon.

Beauty surges

from the strength of many voices

chorusing harmoniously as one civil rights song

that still rings true,

from the calming swirl of chords in

an age-old symphony that

blows through horns, pipes,

and exhilarant bows upon

stringed wooden instruments.

Beauty rises from

each pair of hands

that write, carve, sculpt,

clap, and play

each with their own hues

and grooves and fingerprints.

Beauty gushes

from a delicate infant

cradled in its family’s arms

experiencing life and love

for the first time.

Beauty connects us

through affectionate hugs from friends

who know our joys and sorrows alike,

from the insightful words of an elder

who passes on hope and encouragement

to a young one lacking confidence.

Beauty flows

from those sacred moments

we daringly let others into the

vulnerabilities of our hearts,

from fits of uncontainable, side-stitching giggles,

from tears of solidarity and empathy

shed with friends in times of sorrow.

Beauty is carved into our hearts

And woven into the universe…

Let’s take a moment

to pause and breathe deeply

of the beauty

All around us!