Henry Miller said,
“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature and music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people.”
The world is a spectacular place. My world, albiet, this sweltering middle patch of north central Florida,is lovely. So many of the places I have lived geographically, have been stunning. The tidal marsh along the margins of Charleston harbor outpaces all other landscapes in my heart. To appreciate the beauty around us, we must pause. We must be still. Stillness does not require being stationary. Riding the train between Rome and Florence, the Tuscan countryside was amazing. Riding a bicycle along a nature trail allows one to see the birds and flora. Sometimes, walking on a treadmill in a hotel spa allows a mind to recall places or people that have passed through our lives leaving a remnant of their brilliance. Like grains of sand through an hourglass, some beauty is fleeting and can never be regained. Such is the beauty of youth or the freshness of a newborn baby, all pink and pudgy. There is beauty in movement, the grace of a dancer, the golfer teeing off, that sweet fall away jumper just outside the three point line, the impulsive cartwheel of a child racing across a playground.
Time and age somehow dampens or mutes the beauty. I know I certainly forget to be still. I forget to pause and listen. I endeavor each day to smell the meal I prepare for my nourishment. I want to feel. To feel is both a tactile experience as well as an emotive process. I want to feel my life. I want to breathe and sense the force of life pass in and out of this body. I want to move, occupying my space and expanding fully into myself. Time can be slowed. And beauty simply needs an invitation to return and take residence in my heart.