finding beauty in the midst of deep pain

sometimes,

in the midst of deep pain

it is hard to believe that there will ever be beauty in life again

sometimes,

in the midst of deep pain,

it is easier to recognize what has value and beauty in life

sometimes,

in the midst of deep pain

 I want to be numb and not to think about beauty or anything else

Today held moments of all three of these "extremes",
but as I drove home from this afternoon's practice,

 I realized that my heart always hungers for beauty,

it seeks beauty throughout every day, 
even when I am not conscious of doing so.

Tonight I will focus, 
not the beasts that stalked me,

but on the beauty of life I enjoyed today.

sunshine

comfortable temperatures

gentle breezes
coffee

family

giggles

sharing cinnamon red hots 

fluffy white clouds 

a blue sky
green grass

prayer

lost things, found

being included

little footsteps
concern expressed

flowers blooming

satisfaction of completing a task
cold water

joy of serving
humbleness of being served

hugs

smiles

kind words
gentleness in action
cards of encouragement

hearing "I love you"
seeing "I love you"

giving
receiving
a warm shower

broken things repaired

dirty things cleaned

order restored 

crunching ice

healthy relationships

my dog's gentle nudge to be petted

children laughing
candlelight
back porch sitting

this is a beautiful life I live