Experiencing Beauty

Beauty comes in many forms. We can experience if through touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight. Beauty is found in both what is ordinary and what is extraordinary. Beauty often lies hidden right in front of us. We often pass right by without acknowledging or even noticing its presence. We have shaped our lives to focus on what's coming next versus what is happening now. This constant rush towards the future prevents us from stopping and enjoying the moment. When we slow down, the beauty in life often becomes more clear. Whether it is sunshine glinting off a raindrop, the juicy meat of a fresh picked peach, or the smell of jasmine carried on a spring breeze, beauty exists all around us it is just whether or not we are able to let ourselves appreciate it. Beauty also appears in what may frighten us. The perspective and awe that these frightful things give us allow us to take note of their beauty. An image of lightning striking a tree can instill terror in the onlooker, but at the same time the onlooker is hit by the utter magnitude of the force of nature which is a terrifying and stunning thought in and of itself. One may also listen to a sad song and be reminded of a loved one who past away or an unattainable future and, although this may lead to a sense of melancholy, the feeling of an emotion stirred up within the listener along with the lulling strength of the melody brings beauty to the music. Beauty is an appeal to the senses and a tie to the world around us.