The Search For Beauty

I am addicted to beauty. I search for it everywhere. And I almost always find it. I look for it in unusual places, in unexpected places, in places where beauty is not thought to reside. I like to search for beauty in the grey, muddy days of the fallow season. It is an exercise in present-moment awareness and seeing acutely. It is an exercise in slowing down time to notice the nuances. Because beauty is subtle and secretive when sunshine is scarce and colors are soft.

I find beauty in chipping paint and rusted chains, mudhole reflections and moss-covered rocks. Graffiti shines brightest without solar assistance. Leathered wood has more character in rain. Luckily, I have an artist's eye and see masterful compositions in leaf-muck. I see breathtaking contrast in lichen on bark. I see legions of bare trees as salve for the soul.

Beauty cannot be seen through the eyes of depression, the eyes of anger and the eyes of self-pity. I search for beauty as an antidote to the sometimes compelling desire to sink below the surface. I search for beauty to remain buoyant in times of cloudiness and stress. My search for beauty is, in essence, a needful exercise to keep my heart open and keep the blood of my compassion flowing. If I can see beauty in the most mundane and indifferent circumstances, I know my heart is aligned with Higher Forces. If I can see beauty, I know my heart and not my brain is guiding me through my days.