"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

–Oriah Mountain Dreamer, The Invitation

The consideration of beauty in these simple quotes is a gentle nudge for me to define the beauty I carry within. Beauty provides me joy, adding the reds and purples, blues and golds to the black-and-white scenes of my daily life.

Beautiful: “I miss you, Nana,” are words of beauty spoken by a grandchild, for they are pure and innocent with no ulterior motive than to share their immediate emotion. Other words of equal beauty for my grandmother-ears: “Let’s play Eye Spy With My Little Eyes.” “Nana, your arms are squishy like play dough.” And, an introduction to meet a friend, “That’s my Nana.” The emphasis on "my" adds yet another bright color to my day. An unsolicited hug by a nonhugger little one is just magnificent energy for my soul.

Beautiful: Walking down the broken sidewalks of our neighborhood, seeing tree roots that slowly lift the cement forcing uneven strides and unsightly, dangerous broken pieces........

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