At 40, I know I don’t exactly have one foot in the grave. But having walked the Earth for this long, I do have a better appreciation of the here and now. (Better than the clueless, flaky 20-year-old me, anyway.) I now understand that the “here and now” will be “done and gone” just as quickly as it arrived. Better enjoy it while it’s happening!
I guess that’s why lately, I’m finding beauty in the darnedest places.
The other day on MPR, the announcer closed a segment with a musical clip and accompanying statistic about the Owl City song “Fireflies,” saying it was the most-viewed video on YouTube. (Or something like that — I did note it had over 10 million views at one point. That’s a lot, right?)
I immediately liked the sound of it and wanted to hear more — especially since they said it was written in the artist’s parents’ Minnesota basement. So off I went, in the middle of a hectic school-day breakfast, on a merry hunt for what is now our New Favorite Song.
I say “our” because my girls, ages 7 and 3, are now obsessed with it. We downloaded it and play it constantly, and both of them now know it word-for-word. And I have to say, even though it’s simple, the melody is catchy and the lyrics are sufficiently angst-y. But most interesting of all, it seems to have a beautiful, almost transporting effect on my girls. Concentrating, singing, dancing, twirling, asking questions about what this or that phrase means. If nothing else, this song has provided us with a welcome artistic break in the mundane tasks of living.
(Here’s my older daughter, completely absorbed as she sings along, while the younger one rolls her fists, disco-style, and aims a cheesy grin at the camera. Yeah, when you’re three the whole world’s a stage. I guess she’s not too concerned with any deeper hidden meanings. If there are any.)
Listening to "Fireflies."
Now I’m remembering this summer when we took a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (one of our city’s greatest free attractions). It was a rainy day, and I was inspired by a fellow blogger to bring along our sketchpads, crayons, pencils and markers. My goal was to let the girls lead the way, and stop wherever they wanted to sketch what they saw, write a story… or just whine for food. (Let’s be real here, shall we?) I wanted them to experience art as only a child can — without any preconceived notions of how to do it, whether a piece was “important” (and why), or any hang-ups about not knowing “enough” about art history to really “get it.” (Cripes, can you tell who does have hang-ups?)
Sketching in the Japanese garden.
Should I use the blue or the orange crayon?
We had such a great time, and it was eye-opening to let them call the shots about where we went and what we looked at. I could never guess what would capture their attention next — what is beauty to a seven-year-old, or a three-year-old?
I’ll tell you what the smaller one regards as beautiful. (Cringe.) She took this shot on her own. I’m going to call it “Still Life: Cinderella Takes Her Vitamins So That She Can Work Her Way Through College and Begin a Brilliant Career in the STEM Fields.” Or maybe, “Who Needs a Stinkin’ Prince to Save My Sorry Ass?” Sorry, I digress. More on that another day.
(I think she’s wearing Sleeping Beauty’s dress… so I guess that means all the Disney princesses of the household are now getting along, sharing nicely. Of course, I did see a headless body under the couch the other day. So I can’t be sure.)
Not quite sure how I got from fireflies to sexism in fairy tales (in a post about beauty in the little things, no less), but there you go. Where do you see beauty unexpectedly?
10 Comments
November 4, 2009 at 8:43 am
Lea! What a great post! I love that you and your daughters are listening to and witnessing beauty together, and making your own judgments. I love that you know that that isn’t Cinderellas dress. I love that your itty bitty daughter put the vitamins behind Cinderella to propel her into a brilliant career in the STEM fields! I love the joy and drama in the last two shots!
I see beauty everywhere. When I’ve had enough sleep.
I just really have to be with it, and in the moment. Happiness is a choice we make every single day. It doesn’t happen on its own. It’s effortless, but driven by a conscious, active mental process that requires constant renewal.
You’re awesome! I wish you would post more often. I know, I know.
November 4, 2009 at 8:56 am
Aww cheez, Heather. You made me get all misty for a second there! I hear you on the sleep thing. Without at least 7 hours, my worldview turns dismal and I see beauty nowhere. This post may just be my effort to buck myself up and remind me of my own gifts!
I love what you’re saying about happiness being a choice, and I agree completely. Thanks for reminding me of the need for a “conscious, active mental process that requires constant renewal.” Sometimes I forget that. And then I wallow briefly before I buck up again.
Glad you liked the Cinderella shot (and my title) — and thanks for not judging my apparent need to explain her wardrobe choices.
Most of all, thanks for being one of the voices in my head that I hear while I write! You’ve inspired me many times over. xo
November 4, 2009 at 9:49 am
Lea, I agree with Heather – I wish you would post more! but I forgive you for not … I am awful at posting too. And when your posts come, they are always wonderful and worth the wait
I also agree with Heather that finding happiness is a choice we make – I so believe this. Happiness can be found in the funniest little things and those things are there for us all to see … but only if we make the choice to look
Beauty for me is muddy boots on rocky roads, clear sky, rain on the window, orange leaves, rolling fields, laughter lines, friendly faces … beauty for me can be found in just about every corner of this gift called life (unless I am tired and grumpy, then I just need an extra big push to get out there and find it)
x
November 4, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Alice, you darling! Thank you for your continuing support and inspiration… you can’t know how much that means to me. I love your visions of beauty — they speak to me, too!
One of my favorites is the way the light looks at the end of the day, with the sun low in the sky (but before sunset). It’s golden, almost thick, and it seems to make everything look more special somehow!
Oh, and another I just experienced a moment ago: rocking a child to sleep in my arms, that feeling of melting into the rocker, almost asleep yourself, and sensing the moment when the child lets go and finally drifts off. It’s warm, simple and lovely.
November 5, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Well, this post was worth waiting for! The song is great (playing as I type), and I love your day with your girls. Brought back memories! (Even though I have boys so the “dolls” were actually “action figures” and almost always carrying weapons… and they are both taller than I am now. The boys, not the dolls.)
Where was I? Pretty dangerous when your commenters wander about aimlessly. I think that’s why I’m in love with this post. It encourages wandering.
And yeah, yeah… post more often. I think I say that every time.
November 5, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Thank you, Judy! Man, am I lucky to have such inspiring people encouraging me. I’ve been watching/reading you from the sidelines this week, but will get up the courage to comment again soon. I do so enjoy your blogging voice! (And I finally Googled NaNoWriMo, so I get what’s going on!)
November 5, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I love that song and I love fireflies.
Thanks for turning me on to the video, my kids will love it!
November 6, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Hey Jillian! Glad you enjoyed the song & vid — it’s addictive, isn’t it? Hope all is well in your world… I hardly know what to say about your wild “Encounter in the Barn”! More later.
November 6, 2009 at 11:49 am
Loved the post! Thanks for sharing your world. Grace and I watched the video together, with her on my lap and me snuggling into her neck. Gotta catch the scent of yummy, clean kids whenever you can. Grace’s scent is the best, although Ty isn’t too bad! I’m glad they don’t technically sweat yet. Then I may not want to do such “sniffing”. Remember when we were little (or maybe it was just me) and I used to tell mom that I was going to steal all her “sniffs”? She always smelled so good. Didn’t she use Chanel? Sigh. Those were the days – so simple! I hope our kids appreciate their simple little lives while they have them.
Grace and I spotted the hand me down coat on our beloved cousin! Yea for hand-me-downs!
Simple things we appreciate? The fall colors especially. The kids even oo and ahh over the colors. They ask me why it happens and rather than explain the scientific reasoning behind with chlorphyll and all, I just say that God made it, which is true after all! The other morning I explained that Jack Frost painted the frost all over the grass and leaves waiting to be raked on our lawn. That was a fun conversation, weaving a tale of a little man with a magic wand who paints frost with it. They’ll hate me someday for telling them these stories, right? We love the beauty of our surroundings every single day and realize how lucky we are! Thanks for the post, sister…
November 6, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Hello, sis? You know it’s time to start your own blog when your comments on others’ posts start to reach blog post length! Wanna learn how?
LOL…
Give our sweet cousins great big hugs from their Minnesota relations! xoxo