Beauty In The Mundane

 The last half of yesterday's video featured a song that encapsulates my feelings about life on the farm.  "Beauty in the Mundane" is the title.  For me, it is the perfect philosophy for daily life.

After a year spent largely in quarantine, I have developed an even deeper appreciation for the myriad of ordinary moments that make up each and every day. 

 I have become more keenly aware of the beauty that lies in what, to some, would be mundane... to the point that I can no longer label any part of life as mundane.

Perhaps it is the realization that for so many there are no more beautiful sunrises, no bird songs, no buzzing of bees... none of the things that we often take for granted.

Just the fact that my eyes open each morning and I am here to greet a brand new day is cause for celebration.  

Each day is a perfectly wrapped gift that is meant to be slowly and carefully opened... the act of un-wrapping as important as that of enjoying the contents.  

 For me, the unwrapping of a day happens in the little acts of care and self-care - lighting a candle to chase away the early morning darkness,

 brewing a fragrant cup of tea, or hanging freshly laundered sheets to dry on a breeze, etc.  Being mindful and enjoying these daily acts sets the stage for the rest of the day.  

 Changing the definition of "beauty" is one of the secrets to enjoying the gift itself.  Too often, we equate beauty with the flamboyance of nature.  It's easy to look at perfectly manicured gardens, or spectacular landscapes and find them beautiful   They are eye-catching and dramatic.  

To me, there is just as much beauty in the overlooked, the drab, the barely-noticeable, the mundane. 

A lesson I would have shared with my younger self is this:  

The beauty of each day lies squarely and singularly within our own hands.  

It is not dependent upon another individual or circumstance, but rather, on our own state of mind. 

 And lastly - we are never guaranteed another day.  Today is the only day.

We cannot change the world (though I might die trying), but we can change our perception.

And so, the song goes....

"Yesterday, there was sun and there was rain...         Beauty in the mundane..."

Have a beautifully ordinary day!   (and I will, as well.)

PS...  Remember that amber glass jar that I found in the woods a few weeks ago?  Here it is - repurposed as a vase in the guest bathroom.

To Windy Meadows Farm... the Maven Haven sign that you asked about was made by an Etsy shop : JourneyIron  They were very easy to work with.  I simply told them what I was interested in and they drew up a sketch... a couple of revisions, and I had exactly what I had envisioned.