Where is your beauty

It's been a hard week.  For the whole world.  It's hard enough when we all have our own tough stuff to struggle through every single day.  But when there are big, real, scary things going on somewhere else we have to trudge through the guilt of worrying over our (sometimes) small stuff.

We may wake up and find our life floating by (literally) in 12 inches of water in our storage filled basement.  Maybe your garage door won't open so you can't get in your car to get to work.  Remember when your stove broke the morning of the big Easter dinner?  What if you woke up and there was water dripping from the ceiling in your kitchen but the roof seemed completely in tact?  What if you had a miscarriage while your friend announces her pregnancy?   Are you scared for your health?  Maybe you lost someone close to you, or your life flipped upside down in ways that others cannot imagine or understand.

Can you find beauty in it?  I wouldn't expect you to.  Can you find beauty somewhere else?  I hope so.  I try to.  It's not always easy and my closest buds know when I'm having a moment where I feel as if there is no beauty in the world.  And frustration builds when I am reminded to try to see the beauty.  It's there-they remind me.  We all have these moments-they all say.  It's normal-I'm told.  Thank you, but I don't feel it-I think.   But it's important---find that beauty.  Because it really is all around us.  And what is beauty to me may not be the same to you.  So find your beauty.

Today I'm finding it in the sunshine.  It's cold but it's bright out. Rocking Hughie to sleep for his morning nap was different today because his room was so lit up. 

Yesterday I found beauty in the words of a friend who DID have 12 inches of water in her basement.  She was brave and texted me "Some people have it worse. Everything we lost is replaceable".  I'm not sure I could have been that positive. She is beautiful.

Recently I found beauty in the fact that a friend celebrated her BIG money savings by texting me that she jumped up and down.  I loved picturing that beautiful moment.

There is a lot of construction going on around our house. This is causing a traffic back up which can be viewed out our back glass sliding doors.  In the morning when the cars are piled up, I don't even care if they see me dancing in the kitchen (with and without the kids).  Sometimes I find beauty in a good song.

I know someone who is finding peace in her newly painted rooms.  There is beauty in her passion for this project.

To my friend who said "I can't change it"-she let go of the control of her poor situation.  It shed some light for me.  I realize that is how I should think about a lot of my small struggles.

Thanks to all my friends and family who encouraged me this week.  I know there will be beauty in the changes that are happening in all of our lives-sometimes it just takes time to see it. It's there.

 To all those who supported, ran, watched, helped, saved, reported and prayed this week.  There will be beauty as Boston rebuilds itself.  And Texas too.

An old favorite....