There was a beautiful Iris growing in the weeds and rocks outside a convenience store. It bloomed in spite of a concrete building with fast snacks, coffee, alcohol and an ATM; a place I wouldn't go to after dark.
And so, sitting in the car one day as my husband rushed in to use the ATM I watched the trash float by, noticed the stains on the asphalt and smelled the stale refuse close by. Women walked with children, men usually by themselves, cigarettes, bottles in wrappers - another hole in the wall you'd normally bypass.
But then, I saw her. Iris. Among the grey and blacks was a sprout of green and the gorgeous purples of a perfect iris. How she not only lived, but thrived in the neglect was a mystery, but she stood out in her glory.
It made me think - what else do we miss in our common day? Do we see it or over look the beauty surrounding us. And I'm not talking about the big stuff - like magenta skies of a sunset, or crystal clear waters of the Bahamas. But in every day life what beauty do we not see? And why don't we?
Well, why don't we is easy. We're all so consumed by running from house to work, to grocery, to appointments or to wherever - we don't have time to stop. It doesn't take much to get caught up in the difficulties surrounding us individually and in the world. We are bombarded with negative and strife, and stopping to breathe for a minute is an afterthought.
That iris is part of Willow Studios forever. It is the premise of seeing beauty in life. We can choose to bypass the everyday beauties or stop for that moment, breathe and appreciate beauty.
Choose beauty in life every day.
