The 100 Day Challenge, Day 13:

Beauty is one of my favorite subjects, so I write about it a lot and think about it a lot.  It takes many forms for me.  I like to set an intention each day to notice beautiful sights and actions that cross my path.  (or the other way around!)  Recently John installed a great bird feeder on the outside of our kitchen sink window.  At first no birds showed up, but now just a few weeks later our feeder is a busy bird zone!  We have such a vast array of birds, most we never have noticed just flying around in the trees.  We now recognize the chirp of the Cardinal and can get in position to watch when we get the alert.  Unlike most of the other birds, when a Cardinal flies in, we have to stay STILL or the bird will fly away instantly.  We so enjoy the beauty of the both the male and female, who are so different.  This has been such a treat for all of us, and we have learned so much about all of the birds by referring to our bird book.

So today as I quietly watched the bright red male Cardinal a thought occurred to me- I hope I never get to the point that seeing a Cardinal is so ordinary to me that I don’t think it is special anymore.  I think this happens with the beauty that surrounds us.  We get so used to seeing it that we stop noticing.  I think we need to be on purpose to stay in the place of appreciation  and wonder of that beauty. 

What things are you surrounded with that you used to find incredible and beautiful and now take for granted?  Your home?  View?  Wildlife? Personal possessions? Your spouse?  It’s worth a look around to recall all of the beauty in your life.  When you soak in beauty it shows in you, too- both inside and out.