for the beauty makers, dream chasers, & wonder seekers...

Dear one,

I want to simply encourage you today. There seems to be such darkness permeating our world, it's easy to lose heart and have our focus be a bit muddied. The words I have to share with you this day have been stirring in my heart for some time now...and it is only just recently that I have actually found a way to write them out.

Dearest reader, you are a warrior in the battle for beauty. Yes, you. Your role is vital in this fight against evil and in the pursuit of goodness. You are doing important work here. You are a mighty, strong, courageous warrior.

 

Sadly, in our world, beauty has been thrown away, tossed aside, seen as a waste of time, and even oftentimes, it is seen as a childish ambition. To believe that life is beautiful and magical and full of wonder and possibility, and should be as beautiful and as magical and as wonderful as possible. People have stripped nearly all beauty from their lives. Trees and flowers and plants are dug up and thrown out from yards. Wardrobes and interiors of homes are stripped of all color and personal touches and replaced with a minimalistic style lacking any personality and uniqueness from any other home, in neutral or monochrome tones, resembling a sort of Depression era feeling vibe. Meals are no longer prepared at home by loving hands and shared with those you love but taken out of boxes and packages from drive-thru windows or take out, or even popped into the oven or microwave to heat up something from the frozen section at the grocery store. The music that comes from radios and online is nothing more than disturbing lyrics matched with sounds made with electronic machines by singers who can't even really sing, but thanks to something called "autotune", they can make something not even resembling real music. Gone are the days when homes looked cozy and lived in and welcoming and like a place you felt truly "at home" and comfortable; homes are now replaced with a perfect image, thanks to the disillusion of social media. 

It is my firm belief that all of these things I mentioned here, as well as many other examples, are some of the ways our world feels so dark sometimes. Why is it that people choose darkness instead of light? Darkness isn't just the big stuff like pandemics and wars and bad governments. It is the small things, too. Why do people choose to live in a world of black and white, when Mother Earth herself shows us that a life of color is so much more fun and beautiful.  And we sit here and wonder why so many people are depressed, unhappy, hopeless, and miserable.

Because they have taken beauty out of their life. Beauty has a lot to with the solution to the epidemic of depression, unhappiness and hopelessness that the world is facing. There have even been studies that show that people are happier when surrounded by trees and nature...along with other similar studies. Not that we need a "study" to give us a reason for why we do or believe what we do or believe. But it just goes to show that sometimes the answer is actually quite simple.

Where has beauty gone? Where are the beauty warriors who refuse to comply and fall prey to this lifeless way of living? Who dare to defy the trends and so called "norms" of society and the culture? Where are those who choose to live their own way? Who dream of beauty and whimsy and splendour and making their life magical and romantic and something delightful? 

If what you just read resonates with you, then this is for you, 

my fellow maker of beauty, chaser of dreams, pursuer of delight, cultivator of whimsy,

believer in magic and seeker of wonder, 

lover of romantic living and happy little moments...

Every act you take in cultivating beauty in your life and in the spaces around you is a courageous act of defiance against the darkness that seems so prevalent in our world. But, you, beauty warrior, tell another story...one of grace, love, kindness, compassion, hope, delight, and fullness of life. You tell the story of goodness and light. A story of how beauty speaks and changes lives and makes the ordinary into something spectacular.

Every single meal you prepare with love, every table you set with such care and attention to detail, every candle you light, every melody that fills the corners of your home, every piece of art you display, every crafted tradition and created memory, every celebration you delight in, every moment of happiness and fun, every story you invite into your heart, every person you love and serve, every moment of rest and peace that you offer...

all of these speak life into your space. 

You are giving life...in so many, many ways. You are a lifegiver, just as you are called to be. 

Not only are you filling the cups of others, but in the daily act of cultivating beauty, you are filling your own cup as well. It's the magic of this way of living...the more you give, the more you get. The fuller your cup is, the more you're able to pour out. In the same way a pebble tossed in a pond creates a ripple, you too, are creating a ripple whenever you invite beauty into your life, whenever you share that beauty with others, and whenever you allow beauty to work it's magic.

Dear beauty warrior,

Fight for beauty...cultivate it in your life, seek after it in the ordinariness of everyday, hunger after it with your whole heart, grasp hold of it when you walk out your door and take it with you, choose to sprinkle it wherever you may roam, and be on alert for it when you wander this grand world. 

Beauty speaks, but few listen. It is the magic of Life coming to us, in simple, ordinary, everyday sorts of ways. Open your eyes, attune your ears, quiet your heart. Taste and see. Beauty warrior, be steadfast in this pursuit of all that is good and beautiful. It is worth it. So very worth it. Let beauty transform you. Breathe it in. Drink it up. Soak in it.

Because, rest assured, it's lifegiving...for you, for those around you, for the world.

From one beauty warrior to another, 

let's make this world a bit more beautiful with everything we do.

♥

expecting delight and hidden surprises

The sun shone brightly and the earth was very much alive with deep green grass and bright wildflowers in a rainbow of color. Driving down the winding road, neighborhoods and homes on either side, it just kept going on and on. With minds strictly focused on picking up an order of books at the library in the nearby town, we went on our merry little way. Driving and chatting and not really noticing much of anything except the road right before our eyes. 

In a moment of distraction, I turned my head and to my right, I encountered tremendous beauty. Utter delight filled my heart when I saw the meticulously kept garden behind the old fence. Colors so bright and vivid. Flowers of all sorts. An absolute surprise...hidden on the corner of a street, tucked aside in the curve of the road. Beauty in such abundance. Growing wild and free, completely at ease.

That day I wrote about above was just an ordinary day in late June. We were simply going to pick up some books I'd placed on hold at the library in a nearby town because the towns right where we live don't have a library. Usually, when we make the drive to this library we just take the main thoroughfare through the city...nothing but businesses and lots of traffic and chaos. On this day, however, it was right smack in the middle of rush hour traffic so my mom decided to take the back roads. Now, we are back roads people and only take the main streets and highways when absolutely necessary. However, since we had recently moved around the time this moment took place, we took those busy, chaotic roads more often simply because we live much further out than we used to and a lot of things are quite a drive away. This day, though, we took the back roads. It felt like we were getting back to our roots...just driving through the peacefulness of nature, slower-paced and fewer cars and people. That's this introvert's idea of perfect!

No barefooted, tree climbing, frog holding, mud pie making, cloud spotting, puddle stomping, bird calling, wild foraging, moon gazing, firefly chasing, fort building, creek following, rocking hunting moment with Mother Nature is ever wasted.

-Nicolette Sowder-

This day taught me a lesson and reminded me of something I've known for a long time, but had forgotten:

Slow down and take the back roads. Savour the scenic route. Take in the unexpected beauty that awaits you around the corner. Expect to be delighted and keep your eyes open for little surprises along the way.

All is grace, even these small gifts of loveliness that you find along the path of slow living. Embrace a life of finding beauty in ordinary places, in hidden corners of the earth, and magic and wonder in nature.

This is the rich life, where you bloom and grow and flourish.

Another lesson that I am often reminded of whenever I find myself surrounded by the beauty and wonder of nature is that nature does not rush anything. Everything has its chance to shine in just the perfect time and in the most beautiful of ways. 

We've driven past this hidden garden many times since it first greeted us that warm, sunny late June day and the color is all gone...it had its time to shine and shine it did. It's been in the resting, dormant phase as its roots prepare for another show in probably the next couple of months. Nature can surely teach us many things and just a few of those things are to slow down and look for beauty in the ordinary, hidden place. Do not rush anything for the perfect time will come and it will be beautiful. Always be expectant...for delight and little surprises along the way. These are little gifts that Life gives you. Live slowly, simply and richly. This is the only way to bloom and grow and flourish. This is the abundant life and it's found on the back roads and in the quiet places...and in the ordinary and hidden.

My challenge to you today, dear one, is to take the back roads...expect to be delighted and to encounter beauty on your journey. Slow down and savour everything that comes your way. Find magic in the ordinary and hidden. The secrets to life exist there...open your eyes and SEE.

Then you will truly come alive to the beauty, wonder, and magic of this world.