Our duty to beauty

I spend my professional time between working from home and my clinic in town. Another enchanting aspect of my house is its quiet. In comparison, in my professional microcosm, I often feel bombarded by unpleasantness in the form of loud doors, a white noise device for the office next door (which emits the perplexing sound of a toilet condemned to flush for eternity or a chain-smoker's bronchitis cough), not to mention startling ambulance sirens, leaf-blowers, countless notifications on my computer... 

A few months ago, I had to remove some of my decorative items to make room for a professional now sharing my office. Removing cues is always difficult for me. As I seem to alternate between eye-pleasing decorative items or cluttered spaces that makes my workspace look like the apartment of an old investigative journalist (a career dream of mine in my youth), I wonder if we all share the responsibility to create or enhance esthetics in our world. Is beauty the territory of the creative only? Artists do not have monopoly of beauty. In fact, artists do not necessarily create beauty, they express a reality, and sometimes in a thought-provoking way, which is not always considered beautiful. I have encountered more than once a gap between my striving for beauty and someone else's lack of care about it as demonstrated by their shortcuts, whether it is how a bed is made or a table is set (or not). Even though they do voice appreciation when things around them look harmonious, stylish, in good taste, some seem unwilling to pitch in or take turns in this collective responsibility to enhance or add a special touch to a décor. Each time, I shake my head with a tinge of discouragement as it seems to some people that being applied or meticulous is someone else's job, just like cleaning up is janitors', gardening is landscapers' etc. But why? Janitors need breaks too. We could all use basic gardening skills to maintain our surroundings green (one of my areas for improvement, I know...). Landscapers, janitors and maids in hotels (predominantly women, have you noticed?) probably like for others to do the cleaning or maintenance for them once in a while so they can enter a room or discover a rose garden and actually be totally free to enjoy the physical environment.

Being clean and healthy and making sure we emphasize beauty should be everyone's role, don't you think? Why would it be one person in a couple (often a woman) to be in charge of nicely wrapping presents? As much as I love doing that, I enjoy for others to do that as well (especially as I apprehend my fast-approaching milestone birthday). And learning how others make and share beauty in their own ways is inspiring and helps us expand our own.

Not only we should all aim to create beauty, but it is very fulfilling to notice it and highlight it. As I was tidying up a room for upcoming visiting guests the other night (and making a welcoming bed), here is what was waiting for me on the wall of the full moon room a little after 21:30:

It was almost the full moon. And the round window, reflecting outdoors light against the silhouette of an oak tree, was trying to imitate it, it seemed like. When nature and special effects play with our senses like that, I am struck by a wave of awe. And if I paused long enough to capture this spectacular sight, it is because I consider myself sensitive about and receptive to surrounding beauty.

But the ultimate beauty remains kindness. Words said with kindness sound beautiful. Gestures offered with kindness are beautiful. Kindness is what helps people heal. What helps me get through life is when I feel surrounded by kindness. It smoothens out any rough edges left by trauma. Kindness is not niceness. It is deeper. Niceness is more superficial: smiling at the right time, saying the right script. It's like the difference between to please and to love. Kindness is not merely the absence of meanness. It is active and intentional. Not being harmful is great, but insufficient. Kindness takes human decency a step further.

Nature is kind by creating so many beauties for us, wonderfulness that no AI would ever be able to reproduce. Nature is a teacher, and it is so loving... 

Kindness is a derivative of love. Gratitude is a vehicle or an expression of kindness. Be kind, be grateful, and you will spread love.

And when more people join the kindness club, the world becomes a better, more enchanting place.