Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Investing In Beauty

"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.
If you ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it.
Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty,
it will remain with you all the days of your life."
Frank Lloyd Wright
 
 
Christmas has once again rushed in and out like the ocean's wave...  I look back on the day with a smile, knowing how truly blessed I am and how blessed we are as a family.  I try to see things through the eyes of my children.  It wasn't as easy this year, for some reason.  I have been selfish lately, ignoring so many of the beautiful blessings in my life and feeling an ache that I know I should not be feeling.  So where did that ignorance bring me?  To an ugly place that I do not wish to revisit any time soon.  I was looking through lost and lonely eyes, when in fact, I am surrounded by love.  Even when it is shown so softly that it is barely visible, it is there.  In a smile.  In a thought.  In the warm glow of a candle.  In the soft music playing in the next room.  In the light of each of my daughters' eyes and in the chimes of laughter as they open the next treasure...  In the touch of a hand that truly expresses kindness and openness.  In the smile of a friend.
 
Beauty.  Life without it is simply not an option.  There should always be colorful lights glittering within your heart.  If there isn't, you aren't looking deep enough. 
 
Mostly I am writing this for myself.  When I feel that the light inside me has dimmed, I will come back to this and try to feel and see the beauty in my life as I should.  Perhaps that will be my New Year's resolution for 2007.  To never let go of the beauty which surroundsme.  To never turn my back on a setting sun and to always pause to smell the flowers... or, more appropriately for now, the newly fallen snow. 
 
May your days be merry and bright!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

a great entry.  may you ever hold on to that knowledge.  :)
gina

Anonymous said...

I need to apply this to my life, too!
Pam

Anonymous said...

Beautifully said, Michelle, and truly reflects the title of your journal.. {{{Reflections}}}

Happy Holidays!

Hugs
jackie

Anonymous said...

I feel the way you just wrote about all the time....i feel surrounded by it. It takes effort to sit and enjoy and embrace happiness, at least thats how i feel. I love how you write.
lisa

Anonymous said...

I think you did a brilliant job putting this together, and should you need some words of inspiration, I'm pretty sure these will do the trick.

Jimmy

Anonymous said...

have a good week:)

Deb

Anonymous said...

beautiful. Hope you had a great day.

Anonymous said...

and may the light inside you never dim.

Greg

Anonymous said...

How wonderfuly written! :o) Thank you...it made me stop and think a bit. :o)
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle; this is beautiful. I so totally understand what you are saying here; and how often we take for granted the wonderful things God has blessed us with. Have a good week!
Maria

Anonymous said...

Yes, Michelle.. I think I lost sight of it too, this year. School totally claimed me, and now I'm worn out at a time I should be enjoying my time off. I was thinking, you know, Bea, you didn't think much about Jesus' birth this year. I didn't pray much, I didn't have hardly any quiet time to be still and allow God some room in my life, when He's always made room for me in His. It's time I shut down and turn off and be still for some time, to find my Source, my Light. So I can see the Beauty all around me once more. Bea

Anonymous said...

Beautiful....

Gretchen