RL4B: Relentlessly Looking For Beauty

Part of relentless looking for beauty is noticing and being grateful for the things in your life that are often overlooked. It's why I've incorporated a gratitude practice into my daily routine, and it helps give me perspective when I'm going through a valley. When making my lists of things for which I am thankful, I try to add new items each day as a way to broaden my awareness. Of course I'm still grateful for my husband and family, but I want to push myself beyond the obvious and put some intentional thought into my practice. However, sometimes I get stumped! When that happens, I go to my senses for ideas. What do I see, taste, smell, feel, or hear that fills me with gratitude? Here's an example: Sight : Sitting in my kitchen, I see curtains on my windows, and I'm grateful for the privacy, warmth, and darkness they provide. Taste : I'm eating a delicious, homemade salad, and I'm grateful for fresh produce, tangy dressing, and flavorful se...

Last weekend my mom and I went to a women’s basketball game as part of our season ticket package. We both enjoy watching the local college team since the university has been a part of our lives - I was received both of my degrees from MSU, and Mom was an employee who retired after forty-plus years. The Bobcats have always been, and will always be, our team. As the game clock ticked down, the opposing team was making a comeback, and the crowd began to unify and rally. With each home score, we cheered excitedly, and when the referees made a bad call, we protested loudly. The closer the score, the more synchronized and passionate the response. The crowd had taken on the emotions and the actions of the players, so together we shot each basket and felt every foul. We were all one tribe pushing each other to succeed. It felt energizing and beautiful to love on our team like this, but I realized that there could be a dark side to this behavior. This is what humans have spent centurie...

Last weekend my husband and I celebrated Christmas with his sister's family, and one of the belated gifts  I received was a fitness tracker. You may be thinking, what am I, a woman who uses a wheelchair and other assistive devices, going to do with a fitness tracker? Well, I originally I wanted it just for the heart rate and sleep tracking features, but surprisingly, I have been paying attention to another aspect as well: the step counter. When digital pedometers became popular about a decade ago, I jumped on the bandwagon and clipped one to my hip, excited to see just how many steps an elementary teacher took from sunrise to sunset. I went about my day looking for ways to add extra steps and constantly craning my neck downwards to check the count. I never quite reached the recommended ten thousand steps, but I came close enough to keep up the monitoring for several months. However, as with most fads, my interest waned as I moved on to other priorities. As I set up my ...

I have written before about finding beauty on the bad days and how comforting it can be during challenging times. But what do we do with the beauty we see on good days? When we are happy or experiencing joyful events, it's easy to slide into that place where everything is shiny and lovely. The sky is a brighter blue, grass and trees are greener, and faces of family and friends seem to glow. We want it to last forever, and when the luster inevitably fades, we  typically  respond in different ways. It may be tempting to bemoan the loss and complain about how things aren't the same anymore. Some may chase the fleeting happiness with reckless desire while overlooking their current circumstance, and others may attempt to replicate the elation with substances or vices. I get it. Our human experience leads us down multiple paths as we seek beauty, joy, and love, and these trials shape and mold us as we travel. My approach started to change when my health challenges began...

I love a fresh start no matter the time of year, but when New Year's Day rolls around, it has a strong appeal to my sense of order and harmony. I can't resist the opportunity to begin a new project, habit, or routine. Resolutions are a holiday tradition in this country just as we have our family customs at Christmas . But sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to live up to our goals that come February, many of us have given up on the well-meaning decision. A few years ago, I tried something a little different on January 1st. I wanted to be a person who sends supportive cards, so I set up a schedule with my calendar using a spreadsheet, designed some custom greeting cards through Shutterfly , and bought several books of stamps. Although I didn't send a card every week all year as planned, the practice helped me understand how to make time for kindness when I feel too busy. Now, I always have a selection of cards on hand to send when needed, and the experiment ha...

 The Winter Solstice is coming.  In two days, those north of the equator will experience the shortest day of the year. As a resident of Bozeman, Montana, this means I'll only have only 8 hours, 40 minutes, and 55 seconds of daylight.  Which translates to about 15 hours of darkness! My energy level follows the light. When I have to switch on my lamp at 4:45 pm, it also signals my brain that the day is over. This reaction, if left unchecked, can lead me into a somber, sleepy mood and leave me feeling unmotivated and uninvested in my world. I have to find the light to overcome the dark. I joined an online, Advent study group earlier this month. We meet once a week to discuss our responses to the daily readings as posted on Facebook. Though our numbers are small, we have been able to connect to the Christmas story in a new and meaningful way. The leader suggested that as we approached the solstice, we should light a candle each night while intentionally thinking of ...

When I was growing up, Christmas meant packing suitcases and presents into a vehicle and traveling over 1,300 miles to Northern Missouri to visit extended family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would gather for meals, gift exchanges, and laughter, and my sister and I learned to soak up as much enjoyment and love as we could in this two-week, annual tradition. My mom and dad grew up in towns only twenty miles apart, so it was easy to split our time between both sides of the family. Each household had their own customs and routines around the holiday which led to many unique, long-lasting memories. Now, I can be instantly transported back in time to those cozy, safe, and loved feelings with the smallest sensory details. Each year, my Grandma Kelley would make a large batch of fudge, both chocolate and peanut butter, to give as gifts and to serve to her family. There was nothing I enjoyed more than a large hunk of peanut butter fudge with a Pepsi while watching a movie or ...