Friday, July 31, 2009

A New Way of Looking At Things


In my last post I mentioned opera and the beauty that my Aunt Alice saw in it. Well I don't know if it's the new daddy in me or maybe just a part of getting older, being more mature or just a little more boring (okay a lot more boring), but whatever the reason might be, I'm starting to see and hear beauty in things that I just didn't see or pay attention to in the past. Granted many of them have to do with my daughter but not all.


Beauty in Civility

Coming out of a gas station the other day, I watched as an older woman backed her car into a younger woman's car. To minor to call an accident but a little too harsh to call a fender bender but just enough to shake the old lady up and even though she was clearly the victim the younger woman got out and consoled the older woman trying to comfort her and keep her calm. These days in this finger pointing society we live in, it was beauiful to see someone put "the blame" on the backburner for the sake of someone elses well-being.


Beauty in Dependancy

Every once and a while when they're not looking, I look over at my girls (fiance and daughter) and I watch as they look at each other adoringly, neither one blinking and it hits me that mother has become just as dependant on her child's touch as the child is to hers. It's a beautiful thing.


Beauty in Incoherence

Zari is starting to make all kinds of noises and sounds, a bunch of sighs and coos that just melt her Daddy's heart every time he hears them. With no rhyme or reason, no logical explanation for why she makes one noise when she's sleepy and another when she's happy and then the next day it's reversed, none of it matters because every sweet little sound is music to my ears.


Beauty in 96

The 96th mile of my daily commute ends back in my driveway facing my home that I've missed all day. My sanctuary that I've longed for since the moment I left. After 96 miles of driving, the moment I turn that key and walk through the door I get to leave the stress and the drama of the day sitting on the front porch to wait for me until the morning when I'll recover them for another round. I've never been so happy to see the number 96 as I am when I see it on my way home everyday.


Beauty in Blessings

I've always enjoyed looking at old pictures from the past, they always put a smaile on my face. But now when I look at them and draw on old memories I also realize what a blessing it was to be able to have the good times I've had with friends, family, the places I've been, things I've seen, etc. When it's happening, it's all about that moment, but later down the road I guess that's when you start to really appreciate how lucky or blessed you were to have those experiences.


Beauty in Dirty Diapers

Hey, when you have a birthing experience like we did, you want everything to be exactly as it should be. If it involves tthe baby, then it should look right, sound right, smell right, be on time, be the right temperature, beep when it should, not beep when it shouldn't, etc. So if it's been a couple days since her last soiled diaper, then when it finally comes, we call it beautiful in this house.


Beauty in Escape

When I'm in the heart of the aforementioned 48 mile commute home I also have the pleasure of sitting in 2 mph traffic for the most part of the journey and after an 8 hour day at work, isn't that what we all look forward to? Not quite. But thanks to a playlist on my iPod titled "Making it Home" filled with soft piano tuns and nature sounds (rain, birds, beaches, etc.) I can roll up my windows and turn the volume up and almost enjoy my time in the car. To be able to separate myself from the madness while I'm right in the middle of it is my salvation.


So like I said, these days I'm finding beauty all over the place and these were just a few examples. I wonder if it's just me or if you took the time to really look for it if you'd find beauty in some crazy places too.


You might be surprised.



Cp




4 comments:

The Counselor said...

Great Post. I think the ability to see the beauty in "the little things" may easily come to those who have survived a recent adversity. I think I began recognizing the beauty in small things when Zari was in the hosptial. I celebrated every ounce she gained, every new size of "itty bitty" diapers she grew into, and every "Brady" she recovered from. Every accomplishment she made was laced in the grace of God. I think once you experience and fully acknowledge the true miracle in the gift of life---it makes it that much easier to notice all of the other small things around us.

Anonymous said...

sI love the post and totally agree with "The Counselor."
I've learned that the little things in life, really are the BIG things in life. My boyfriend doesn't have to go into debt with some grand gesture, but when he does the little things they add up to so much. Last week I was slammed in preparation for a class that I would be teaching. I had to postpone date night in order to stay focused. Brian understood. He brought me some Willy's (my favorite) because he knew that I had not eaten. He sat quietly on the couch working on some Logic Puzzles. He didn't disturb me, but was ready to listen when I needed to bounce ideas off of him. He made jokes and played Mafia Wars with me when I needed a break. He brought me cold bottles of water without me asking. He rubbed my hair when I let out a frustrated sigh. He told me how beautiful I looked after being awake for 26 hours lol. And he prayed with me. I knew that all would be well after that. When I think about our relationship he has done some big things, but it is the small things...the daily things that I remember so fondly. Lord, I love that man! :-) Continue to find the beauty in little things. It will remind you just how blessed you are. D.D.

secret agent woman said...

You caught me at a bad time for such a sweet post, but still I agree. And as for being a prent, nothin gin the world prepares you for how head-over-heels goofy-in-love you will fall with you r new child. Nothing. It's purely magic.

Robin said...

Your getting older. You've got your future in Zari. The world looks different. The world IS different. Hooray for you and yours!

Something is right in the world.