WRITEON FOR
JULY 20, 2022
BUCKMoon and THUNDERMoon . . . and lottsa muggy heat . . . aha the advantages of Mississippi summer living! Beauty is an interest of mine. You? What does one do to contribute to the beauty of the surroundings, by what folks read, or how we talk with one another or…? All these ask us to contribute to beauty . . . not raw harshness or adversarial pique.
When I think on God, I recall the magnificence of creation, the beauty of sacrifice, and the beauty of each and every person. Whether it’s a sprouting sweet potato, the planets in alignment, or the smile of a neighbor . . . all these contribute to the beauty and wonder we have been gifted with. Perhaps we can even side with Miss Piggy (Muppet) who was known to have remarked: “I cannot tell you how many times people have complimented me on my lavish figure!”
Beauty causes us aha moments, powerful and staggering speechless moments and amazing insights. John Ruskin the English poet reflected: “Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless: peacocks and lilies, for example.” (Intl. Thesaurus of Quotations).
Another aspect of beauty is music. Maya Angelou remarked: “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” (Gathered Together in My Name). How our choirs and soloists, band members and orchestra players fill our hearts with joy and jive, with jostle and hip-hop, jazz and R&B, and with holy, soothing strains to heal the soul. Beauty is abounding in music, and don’t forget the birds, or the frogs, or the ducks!
There is another kind of beauty that attracts me: kindness. The folks in Malaya have a proverb: “One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in the debt to those who are kind.” Often makes no noise, has little planning, and responds with good humor to others relaxing them and causes a happy atmosphere to increase. Even Frances Hodgson Burnette (in the Little Princess) said: “Anyone who is kind wants to know when people have been made happy. They care for that more than being thanked.” Yes indeed. Sometimes folks do a random act of kindness . . . like paying for the coffee for the car behind you at the drive in or leaving a donation where one will not be found out, or even just doing something for someone unexpectedly . . . we can all do that. Don’t think you are kind? Don’t think you are beautiful? Well, then side with Abe Lincoln who graphically said: “Common-looking people are the best in the world; that’s the reason the Lord made so many of them.” He should know!
BLESSINGS.
