The world in its present state has good and evil, darkness and light, ugliness and beauty. Sometimes the beauty is before us in all its splendor – a gorgeous flower, a beautiful sunset, a loving act. Other times we need to make a concerted effort to look for it when darkness or evil is before us.
It is helpful for us and for our children to notice beauty. We can develop this habit in ourselves and encourage it in our children. This can be done in many ways: you can take a walk and ask them to point out anything beautiful they see. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don’t discourage them if they are noticing beauty in a bug you find ugly. If it’s a rainy, stay-indoors day, give your children a certain amount of time (five minutes?) to look around the house and find something beautiful, then gather and share what you’ve found. You can have a “Beauty Journal” and in the evening write down beautiful things that you all found that day. If no one has anything to contribute, go find things.
Sometimes in order to notice beauty, you have to take a very close look. A plant might look ordinary from afar, but if you examine it, you might see beauty. Teach your children to look closely.
Look for beauty in people as well, and if you see it, tell that person. When I remember (and it’s all too rare, but I would like to do better), I look for something beautiful in the cashier serving me at the grocery store. Does she have a nice smile? I tell her. Does her hair have a pretty accessory? I tell her. The other day I was taking a walk in a park. I was behind another walker. I actively looked for something beautiful, and found something to say to her as she stopped on a bridge to look at the water. I almost didn’t, because it felt awkward, but I make myself do it. It made her day.
My father taught me and my siblings, “If you see something nice, say it!”
This is something to cultivate in your family. Look for the beauty in your spouse and children and comment on it. Not only outward beauty, but a good attitude, a job well done, a kind gesture, a talent.
What if we had a culture that noticed and called out beauty? We can create that culture, beginning with us!
