What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
American Beauty brought us the great “plastic bag” moment of perfection that opened the eyes of movie goers everywhere. Have you had your moment yet? Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder but what does it does it say about us? Are we shallow if the most beautiful thing we’ve ever seen is a person? Are we adventurous if it’s a landscape? Intelligent if it’s architecture? Sentimental if it’s a sunset?
The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is Jasper, Alberta. My fiancé and I had gone out west to visit my older brother for a week and we made the trek from the tiny town he lives in to the mountains of Jasper. It was October and the air was just cool enough to need a warm jacket. The sky was a dazzling shade of blue and the mountain side was etched perfectly against its backdrop. Nestled at the base of the mountain was an elementary school. Oblivious to the onlookers, children ran every which way, laughing and playing and enjoying their recess. A woman jogged by with her dog, heading up into the trails at a leisurely pace. Everything about the scene was perfect…. but it was beautiful for so many reasons other than the breathtaking view. In that moment I was aware of only the good things in my life. I felt the fresh air moving through my lungs and filling me with the hope that if my father were to breathe this air he would win his battle with cancer. I felt the stability and protection of my brother, always stronger than me and always my defender. I felt the joy of the children playing and smiled at the thought of days passed….and finally, I looked at my fiancé and felt the warmth of a certain future. My world has changed in the five years that have passed since that day, but every time I look back on it I experience those feelings all over again.
So, yes…beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, or perhaps more accurately, in their heart.
The Zuf Truth 