Beauty. Freedom. Abundance

As I started long overdue weeding in my garden in early June, I noticed the tiny saplings of many perennials that I had planted last fall. I did not know if they would make it through the tough winter. Some of them had been mauled by my puppy, Leo as well. It was a sheer joy to watch them pop their little heads up. You can’t help but be in complete amazement at this resilience. A tiny plant with tiny roots that have not been strengthened yet, that has been mauled by a dog and crushed by many inches of snow could rise up and be a perfect example of how to shine. It made me think that if a tiny plant could do this, what could stop me or you? Really. This is so very beautiful and profound.

We often think of beauty as what is shown to us on the covers of glossy magazines but this natural beauty shines like no other. Mother Nature is the most beautiful, graceful, resplendent one in all its ways. It is the biggest teacher as well. We have so much we can learn from Nature---grace, patience, resilience, beauty. Once you connect with the beauty of the rhythms in Nature, you can begin to find beauty in your personal rhythms as well---the rhythm of your heart beating, the rhythm of your breath, the rhythm of the rise and fall of your belly, and chest with each breath. This is a real beauty and perhaps this is freedom as well, freedom from the clutches of preconceived ideas and notions of beauty. 

Open your eyes to this new day and see the beauty all around you---in things that were always around but you may have never noticed. Imagine being a young child full of wonder in your eyes and in your heart, experiencing everything with a new perspective. I think this is what Shakespeare meant when he said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You see and appreciate what you allow yourself to. As you walk through your day today, open up to the beauty, love, and abundance around you. 

with much love, Ritu
Ritu.Kapur@Sohum.org