"Stop and smell the flowers, and lose it in sweet music and dance with me.
There is beauty in the world.
So much beauty in the world.
Always beauty in the world.
There is beauty in the world.” ~Macy Gray
Grand Central Station, NYC
Beauty is all around us. I’m not referring to the kind of beauty we see on a twenty-something’s lovely face, or the shapely bodies sprawled across dozens of fashion magazines.
I’m referring to the literal meaning of beauty.
“A person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.”
Shhh. Be still. Look around you. Smell the fragrant bouquet. Hear the compassion. Touch the grace. Drink in the wonder. Beauty surrounds us everywhere.
"Inner beauty is the light of love and when it radiates from you, those around you will glow." ~ Deepak Chopra
I grew up in Jersey, was weaned on life in Manhattan and went to school in Boston. Like many people growing up near a big city, I got used to life moving at a fast pace.
But as Ferris Bueller famously said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris was right.
George Washington Bridge
This past weekend, hubby and I were part-time tour guides for a friend (I’ll call her “M”) and her mom who were visiting New York City for the first time. We loved our role, showing off a city we dearly love. I looked forward to seeing it through their eyes, waiting to catch that first glimpse of excitement.
I got more than I bargained for.
The trip was M’s gift to her mom for Mother’s Day. I watched the beauty of their mother-daughter relationship unfold, beginning with the tender care M took of her mom (“Mama”) to ensure she was comfortable as we walked in the rain to visit the city’s landmarks. Saying “please” and “thank you”, terms often neglected in our busy world, were frequently used. Tender loving hugs were given when we had to say good-bye.
The beauty of their Midwestern manners and loving hearts filled my own.
There is beauty in relationships, and beauty in how we treat one another.
I recently changed my health insurance company. This is a daunting task and one I hate taking care of. I researched several companies that fit my needs. Before signing up with a new plan, I was quoted dollar amounts for the copayments I’d be responsible to pay.
Let the games begin.
It was time to schedule a delivery for my daily injectable medication. I called the specialty pharmacy hotline. The operator typed my information into her computer, and then asked me a question that nearly gave me a heart attack.
She calmly said,” Your copayment will be $4,000 a month. Do you want to pay by check or credit card?”
I nearly dropped the phone.
With a quivering voice, I insisted she repeat what she just said, and then demanded to speak to her advisor. Her advisor’s story was the same. I abruptly hung up.
I called the pharmaceutical company’s hotline to explain the situation. A delightful woman with a cheery voice asked a few questions, then assured me everything would be fine. I would qualify for coverage of my copayment.
She called the next day to simply make sure I was okay.
There is beauty among us. Beauty in sensitivity and compassion.
As we age, life becomes more complicated. We’re faced with daily challenges that can seem unbearable and stressful. As I see it, we have two options: Let it overwhelm you, or acknowledge it and move on.
Watch the beauty that happened among the ruins of Oklahoma (although if I were the reporter I would have dropped everything to help this women and her dog!)
There is beauty in nature and beauty among the ruins.
What beauty has happened in your life lately?
Cathy, you have such a fantastic, positive attitude toward life and it inspires everyone around you. This post is a great reminder on those days when things seem difficult and ugly to step back and find the beauty. It's always there.
Beautiful post. (With the message of a $4000 copay, I'm glad they didn't have to treat you for a heart attack!)
I thought the exact thing when I watched that video - I'd have been scrambling over there so fast to get poor Bouncy out!
Perhaps because I'm an introvert, I've always been one to quietly take in what is going on around me. I value beauty very highly.
Thank you for writing the amazing post. This post is the beauty in my world today. You see, just this morning, I was chatting with my dearest friend who is struggling. Struggling to find the beauty in the world because the not so beautiful things tend to overwhelm her. She is such an empathetic person, that everything becomes hers. Everything takes hold in her heart and soul, until she's nearly drowning. Today, I will share this with her, in hopes that it lightens her soul a bit.
Such a beautiful post. We have opportunities to see beauty in this world every day, and yet so often we get caught up in all our business to really take it all in. Kindness is beauty! A wonderful reminder. OH! And WHY weren't those reporters being of more assistance to that woman??? A lovely clip...how great it was she found her dog, but really odd the reporter/cameraman did not stop to help, no?
Oh well...she and her dog are happy together now.
Thank you, Cathy, for this beautiful post. And I hadn't seen the woman finding her dog - what a perfect ending! I think beauty is all around us, though many times we have to sort through the rubble to find it, much like this scene from the utter devastation.
I was not even going to turn on the computer today but I was upset over something that does not matter and needed a mental break. Thank you for putting everything back in perspective. What a amazingly strong women she is and Thank God she and her dog are ok. I cried my eyes out at this video.
So much beauty in this post, in a variety of ways. Have you ever read Pat's blog, Mille Fiori Favoriti? (I think that's the spelling.) She wrote on NYC and shared the most gorgeous photos of her beloved city and state. She moved to my state a few months ago, and I love seeing the regional beauty anew through her lens.
What a shock on the meds. And what a kind gesture to be called back just to check on you.
The dog video? I, too, was surprised by the reporter not assisting.
I see incredible beauty every morning when I walk my dogs. Pikes Peak, deer, lovely women far older than I moving as briskly as their aged bodies can go as they, too, get in their double dose of exercise and beauty along the same walking route.
I'll have to remember your wise words the next time I get overwhelmed by something that gives off negative energy. Undoubtedly there will be something beautiful just around the corner to offset it. Beautiful post, as always, Cathy.