Beauty must appeal to the senses,
must provide us with immediate enjoyment,
must impress us or insinuate itself into us
without any effort on our part.
~ Claude Debussy

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Beauty and the creativity expressed through it are central to our lives.
I know this truth and I’m very aware of it these days.
Perhaps more than ever before.

We often think of beauty as visual. It is.
And it is also active in all of our physical senses.
Which is a big part of what we came here to experience.

See: I watched the sun ‘rise’ this morning – yet again! A wildflower.
Hear: The birds singing their early morning songs. Myriad forms of music.
Smell: There is such sweetness in the smell of earth after a rain. And the lilacs!
Taste: Savoring the ‘ordinary’ deliciousness of a juicy orange or a cool glass of water.
Touch: Katie, our dear dog, asks for the extra attention of soft petting. She loves it and so do I.
Through it, she heals me. She knows.

These days, sometimes I have difficulty keeping fear at bay.
Especially with so much focus on the elderly of which I am one.
Noticing such simple, ordinary beauty is an extraordinary healer.
It helps me stay awake to what we are living in and through.
It helps me remember the exquisiteness of being on earth.
And it helps me remember who and what I really am.

Beauty is a healing balm. It’s always present.
All that is required of us is to notice.

Photo by Barbara.
In our kitchen
Minneapolis, MN.