simple gifts

i'm twitchy and pondering beauty today.

Beauty - capital B.

for some reason i keep thinking about one friend in particular. it's kind of strange to write anything about her here, since some of you know her (and she herself may even read this!), but i've been thinking a lot about her life lately as i think about things i want to cultivate in my own. she is beautiful, no question, but something also shines out of her. an unselfconcious authenticity. while i don't think i have ever heard her talk about stuff or money or of pining for a pair of shoes of a new camera or anything, she appears to me to be always fresh and put together and have an almost zen detachment from wanting any particular thing. the first step into her home told me that she lived with an attitude of abundance that made pared-down feel spacious and radiant. my sense of her spiritual self, while uninformed and relatively speculative on my part, also gives one the feeling of lightness and confidence and centered peace.

i know we are to imitate Christ in all things and not people. but as i've been writing and thinking more about the Abundance, Beauty, Lightness and Authenticity that I want to believe and breathe and live every day, i think about the good examples i have. and i'm thankful.

simple things. Beauty. check out the blog link on the list to the right called "absolutely beautiful things". especially scroll down to some posts from last week. beautiful. delightful.

and i'll close this rambling post with one of my favorite music lines ever, from the indigo girls:

this world falls on me
with dreams of immortality
everywhere i turn
all the beauty just keeps shakin' me