Small
Things
“When
tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to
see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great
things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small
things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of
infinity in a single moment.”
Muriel
Barbery (The Elegance of the Hedgehog)
Have you ever sat through
a tea ceremony? I have, though for the life of me I can't remember
when or where. I think it was in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco a
million years ago. I do remember that it was slow, and thoughtful,
and beautiful, and delicious. A simple cup of tea, taken mindfully,
is a taste of perfection.
We tend to believe that
what is around us everyday is ordinary and uninteresting. But my
friend from the prairie is awed by the beauty of the dogwood in my
front yard. She spent an hour lying under it on one of my
grandmother's quilts. When we walk, she is full of enthusiasm for the
azaleas blooming everywhere. I, on the other hand, notice them, register that they
are blooming, but I don't wax poetic over them—I have ceased to see
their astonishing beauty simply because they are always here. For her
they are exotic.
We can begin to grasp
just how beautiful the world is simply by looking at the small things
around us. Instead of hoofing along at a gallop, we could slow down
and give our senses time to register the amazing fecundity of nature
this time of year. A little patch of clover growing out of cracks in the
pavement, lemon balm thriving in a brick wall. We don't have to
travel to the Caribbean or the South Pacific to see paradise,
although those areas have their own beauty. All we have to do is tune
in, open our eyes, and notice the small jewels of infinity all around
us. I hope you have a beauty-filled day.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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