Monday, September 28, 2009

Sunshine And Twitter

When I sat down this morning to begin my work, I saw I'd gotten some response to yesterday's Three Pretty Things post. A few people commented on the blog itself, but two others mentioned it on Twitter.


One person who Tweeted about the post admitted that he'd like to begin looking for the pretty things in life, too (but he was looking for a more macho term to describe it). The second person asked what pretty things I'd seen today.

I'll be honest: I'm glad many of you enjoy the Three Pretty Things, but I don't consider those posts my best work. So I was stumped why you connected with it.

Awhile later, I was talking to my friend Laura and asked what she thought I should blog about today. She suggested the sunshine, since the weather's been so dreary and cold lately. Laura didn't know it, but she sparked a lightbulb moment for me.

We all want sunshine in our lives, don't we? We want beauty and happiness and meaning, and a sense that even tiny moments in time can have resounding impact on the world around us. We search for it, try to create it, and delight when others reveal it.

It's exciting to realize that we aren't on this treasure hunt alone. Other people want to search out what is good, and -- better yet! -- their finding it only makes it more likely that we can, too. There isn't only one treasure chest or pot of gold, waiting to be seized by the first comer. Against all expectation, sharing means there's more of a prize to go around, not less.

Is this what draws you, in some sense, to Three Pretty Things? I think it might be. I'm giving you a peek at the moments when I paused to appreciate life. Maybe, is this what makes you want to stop and inhale the rich aroma of your coffee before you take a sip? Is this what makes you close your eyes and turn your face into the warmth of the sunlight?

If that's true for you, find a way to share beauty today and tell me about it in the comments. That way we can all be closer to gaining some pretty prize.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay for sunshine and friendship. You, by far, were the prettiest thing for me to see today. Thank you for visiting! :o)

Dave said...

Dostoyevsky said that "beauty will save the world..."

canamgirl said...

If Dostoyevsky had met Christina, he would have added "Olson" to the beginning of that quote.

Ravin2 said...

My connection to your Three Pretty Things post was to your epiphany not your style. I thought this line was so true of my recent outings:

"What became clear is that those moments aren't always things you can photograph."

I've been in the loft at The Muse trying to find a way to logically get over to that other side and thought - this is a moment! But, your picture didn't capture the smell of my coffee or the bustle of people or the beautiful people living in the building across the street with decades of experience to share. Your photography was pretty, but the moment was truer. Thanks for trying to connect us with your moments of ahha, even if you do call them pretty.