Friday, September 13, 2024

Little Pieces of Hope



Life is not a bed of roses;
neither is it full of thorns.
UNKNOWN


I don't suppose it's a surprise to anyone living on this planet. It doesn't take long for a person, even a child, to discover that life is not a bed of roses. Thankfully, neither is it completely full of thorns, even in the most horrid of situations. Or so I am told, as I personally haven't lived in some of the worst situations out there. But there are dear people who have lived through some and have survived some, who bear witness that, yes, there is still goodness, there is still beauty, there is still kindness in the midst of those wretched circumstances. And that brings hopefulness for any gloom-ridden day.

If you've followed this blog for any length, you know it's dedicated to the theme of living a beautiful life—focusing on what is beautiful and what gives hope in the world around us. None of us live in paradisal circumstances, at least not all the time. Sometimes life is pretty good, but when the ugly stuff gets too much in our faces, it's harder to hold onto what still adds grace to our lives. One thing I have learned over my longish life is to pray for grace... and to watch for the tiniest gifts that show up often in the smallest places. Sometimes they feel so inconsequential it's easy to overlook, but I began to practice watching for them, and I was surprised at how much beauty was out there, hiding in full view. 

When it comes to a garden..... it's not all a bed of roses either. Maybe that's why most of my floral photos are close ups, with only a few rarer panoramic views. First, I like the 'larger than life' style made famous by artist Georgia O'Keeffe who often painted her floral works in grand scale. She said if she painted a flower in a huge scale, people couldn't ignore its beauty. When it's in your face like that, it is hard to ignore, true. Second, perhaps more importantly for me, I like taking close ups because quite often the parts of the scene are nicer than the whole of it. Edmonton author/photographer Shawna Lemay once observed that close ups block out the vistas that are not lovely to look at. 

So, I focus on what's lovely and zone out what's unsightly. It's not pretending it's not there; it's just focusing on the better thing available in the moment. My sister told me about seeing a fellow online who kept bringing to the viewer's attention all the things in his yard that weren't to his personal liking, complaining about all that was wrong in it. She wondered why he focused so much on the unsightly areas when she could see so much that was pleasing.


If I were to pan the camera over my garden, you would see the same thing here, even in the height of summer when things are at their best. Some corners are quite Edenic in sensual loveliness, but alongside there are vistas in such contrast from our hoped-for dreams of a whole garden attuned in symmetry, colour, and design. As it turns out, it's just how life is sometimes. Imperfect. We don't mean to leave a reader with the idea that all is perfect in our world where we live; we're just happily focusing on what is lovely and zoning out what isn't.

In thornier times when my soul falters and frets—when my body is unwell, when my mind grows anxious for various reasons—I try to create a space that offers restfulness with something lovely to light my eyes upon. It helps me to get on with things if I can carry something beautiful in my heart. Which often means that I do close-ups in my mind, and here on my blog, of what is still lovely in some way. I tend not to offer the wide angle lens panorama, but search for what adds colour, interest, and gracefulness in the more intimate setting. And to give you, when you visit, a little respite in an upside down world. Kind of like in the mindset of the unknown author in this little verse:

I will always search for the ray of sunshine,
the lone wildflower,
the singing birds,
the brightest star,
and every other little piece of hope.
UNKNOWN




Wishing you a weekend that's lovely—with as few
thorns as possible and with little pieces of hope to keep you going,

Brenda

Photo credits:
Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life
"My Mom's Peace Rose"


Autumn blogging schedule:
I post on Fridays


13 comments:

  1. There are no shortage of opportunities to become anxious and overwhelmed. That's why spaces like yours that offer a glimpse of what's beautiful and a sense of peace to carry with us when we leave are so important. I appreciate you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Noticing bits of beauty throughout the days provides a good dose of hope against the weariness and brokenness of the world. I know that when I come to visit your blog, there will be beauty and hope. Dwelling on what is lovely and pure and true....
    I hope you are doing well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lorrie, thank you for your note. We're doing well, and I hope you are settled back home nicely after that lovely trip out west. You had some lovely pics on FB.

      Delete
  3. Are those photos of your Peace Rose? So beautiful. I agree that focusing in on the little beauties around bring hope. And peace. I think I learned through the pandemic, when problems were world-huge, to look smaller was what brought peace and hope. Beautiful thoughtful piece of writing. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The photos, yes, are of the Peace Rose, pics taken a couple of years ago. She died last winter, to our heartbreak. Even people who walked past our house on their constitutionals asked after her when they didn't see her around anymore. She gave us so much joy! Thanks, Joy, for your note. xo

      Delete
  4. Brenda you do always bring hope and beauty to your posts. Such a good insight regarding the close up of a special rose or something lovely. Too often we get caught up in what is wrong instead of focusing on what is right. You dear friend never fail to help us all to see beauty everywhere we go. Thank you for sharing your gift with words and gorgeous photos. Have a blessed week. Hugs!









    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You bless my heart, Debbie, with your kind words. Thank you for taking a moment to visit. xo

      Delete
  5. Lovely post, Brenda. You do, indeed, focus on the good things in our world and you truly do make the world a better place by doing that. I always love coming to read what you have so eloquently written. I, as well, try to concentrate on the positive as there is truly so much good in the world. God-winks are there if we look for them! Hope your weekend and the week ahead are filled with delight for you. Hugs. Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the phrase "God-winks". Yes, there still is so much that is good in this world. God-winks are great reminders. Thanks, Susan. xo

      Delete
  6. I loved reading your thoughts here, Brenda. You paint so well the truth that while there are hard things in life, when we focus in we can see absolute beauty. In my life, I tend to notice those small beautiful things most when there are struggles. They stand in stark contrast to the hard things. You also make me smile when I think of my beautiful vegetable garden. Taken as a whole, it was, perhaps truly beautiful for only a couple of weeks. The rest of the time it was simply in process. The beauty then became in the slowing changing colors of tomatoes, watching a honeydew grow to gigantic proportions, marveling at how green beans blend right into the plant itself and picking them becomes a game of hide and seek. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love your comment about noticing the small beautiful things because they stand in stark contrast to the hard things. So true, Becki. Thanks so much for your visit and lovely note.

      Delete
  7. Another wonderful quote, Brenda! Our gardens have so much to teach us don't they. After all, God created gardens and animals before He created us, not for food only, but to teach us and comfort us with their beautiful offerings. He knew we would need them to lift and cheer us in this fallen world. ❤️Cathy

    ReplyDelete

To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo