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Heartwings Love Notes 1024 - Beauty is Where You Find It

Heartwings says, "Keep your eyes open for the unexpected."

Driving the roads of Massachusetts, I am struck by the beauty of the bare branches lining the roadsides. There is something very special about their tracery against the winter sky. March in Northern New England is still a winter month. As with most days this time of year, the roadsides are bare of snow except for the occasional dinosaur, as I call the grey, crusty grit and leaf piles that remain here and there. The trees seem to stand out more in their original loveliness.

Soon, I know I will see a kind of glow envelope the branches. I'm not sure if that is my imagination or if I am seeing the promise of leaves to come. I do know that willows seem to release a color before the leaves begin to sprout. Long ago I wrote a poem about that. It was the first time I had ever noticed that on a tree.

Spring will soon come, but for now there is the beauty of the limbs against the sky to admire. From the large doors that lead onto the porch outside my bedroom, I can also see the light glinting off the branches of trees nearby. I notice this when the sun hits them as the day progresses. It's a fine treat. When my foot is on the gas pedal, I can't take the time to notice details or I would get distracted and not be a safe driver.

There are other things to be noted from my bedroom besides this silvery shininess. During the later spring and summer there is a plethora of loveliness from there or from nearly anywhere we might choose to look. In the bleaker months however, the search for beauty needs to be a conscious act, one we might even take for a meditative practice. Making the time to do this can give us something to think about besides the sad news of the world and the terrifying stories of violence about which we can do nothing, and so we feel a sense of helplessness and grief.

Yet it does us no good to dwell on any situation we are helpless to address. My response is to send a prayer and envision light surrounding the people and places involved. There are also charities that collect items to send, and funds that can be donated to by those who wish. That only helps some against the barrage of sorrow that awaits us when we turn on the news. There is a temptation to ignore it yet then we would not know what was happening.

Sad and difficult as it is to watch and see what is going on, it is also an opportunity to recognize how blessed we are to be safe and warm in our comfortable houses. Thankfulness for that good fortune needs to be uppermost in our hearts as we look around us. The special beauty we see in the sparse landscape of the end of winter is a reminder that it is darkest before dawn. As we pray for peace and an end to the suffering, we can hold onto that spare loveliness while we wait for spring.

May you seek out and find whatever beauty there is near you.

 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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