Most of my days start with a good 3 1/2 mile walk with my friend Mary. We walk and talk — and we look for “a little bit of pretty,” as we’ve come to call it.
It all started when we noticed a wooden bench in a yard we were walking past — a little bit 
of pretty, even though one arm on the bench was broken. Mary and I talked about that phrase — a little bit of pretty — and each morning after that our eyes — and our hearts — were wide open for more “pretties.”
Looking for beauty somewhere … anywhere … everywhere changed our walks. We’d walked the same 3 1/2 miles for weeks — sometimes clockwise, sometimes counterclockwise — but always the same streets. But now we were noticing things we hadn’t seen before.
Our perspectives changed.
And life is all about perspective.
I savored autumn a bit more this year as I walked and sought out each new a little bit of pretty.
And being so intentional helped me face a few emotional and spiritual challenges, too. Because, as Emerson says, there is beauty in each moment …
- even if the beauty is in knowing the moment will pass.
- Or knowing that you faced whatever challenge was in that moment — and conquered it.
- Or stood up to the fear — and somehow sifted it through your fingers and found God’s unwavering peace that passes all understanding.
- Maybe the beauty in a grief-filled moment was the silence of a friend who didn’t try to give you all the right answers … but instead, chose to just be with you.
In Your Words: What beautiful moments have you seen lately?
[Tweet “The Beauty of Each Moment: Can You See It? #lifequotes #alittlebitofpretty”] [Tweet “What beautiful moments have you seen lately? #lifequotes #alittlebitofpretty”]
I’m celebrating the release of my e-novella, A November Bride, with a Rafflecopter giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a $100 Williams-Sonoma gift card and much more!! Go here to enter or click on the book cover image!
Comments 8
Here’s one –
Humphrey the Pit Bull was abandoned at a boarding kennel several years ago, and he wound up with us. He was a classic “red zone” dog; spring-loaded to aggression.
Enter Ladron, a red Heeler and my Chief Service Dog. She decided to personally rehabilitate Humphrey. She wasn’t “nice” -she chased him around the yard, nipping at him, and blocking his path back into his crate when he had had enough.
Then Sylvia, Assistant Service Dog (another Pit) entered the game, following Ladron’s lead.
And today, Humphrey looked at me with an expression devoid of any “red zone”, and attitude. He was a happy, normal dog.
His eyes were saying, “They LIKE me! They really LIKE me!”
And thus has his name been changed to Sally Field.
Author
Oh, Andrew, what a wonderful story … I’ve reread it twice already … and when I get to the “The LIKE me! They really LIKE me!” part, well, I start grinning all over again.
What a wise productive practice. Today my little bit of pretty is all of Ps. 126, with at least 2 songs I know resulting from those verses.
Author
Interesting you should mention scripture as “a little bit of pretty,” Dee. Today I took a photo of a passage of scripture I underlined during my reading this morning. Yes, it’s one of my “pretties” for the day.
I love both Andrew and Delores’ little bit of pretty. Mine is me trying to type this after my kitty decided she wanted to cuddle up in my lap. I can barely reach the keys. 🙂
Author
Love this, Pat.
🙂
Sometimes Sylvia the Pit Bull sits on my lap when I type. It’s her way of telling me I’m pushing too hard. She will also hide tools. I still haven’t found a hacksaw she took.
If you’d care to visit my blog, there is a picture of her there.
The quickest way for me to drive to work is a curvy, narrow, two lane road through the country side. I grew up in a town but never really lived in the country. God amazes me with beautiful scenery each day. Some days I see horses in fields and other days I see cattle. I’ve seen beautiful sunrises, rainbows, and sunsets. That God would take time to splash his beauty across the sky never ceases to amaze me.