Cultivating Beauty Around You

Our theme for the month of September is "Cultivating Beauty." If you missed the first post discussing the most important aspect of beauty, you can check it out here. But today, I want us to focus on the art of cultivating beauty around us.

Have you ever been to someone's home and simply fallen in love? I have.

As a little girl, I used to take sewing lessons. My teacher was an older woman who lived in a rancher style house. On the outside it wasn't much to look at - rather ordinary. But inside it felt magical. As soon as I opened the door, I would smell homemade cookies freshly baked. To the right of the door, was a well-worn piano which was quickly played upon request. Everything in that home was slightly cluttered but always clean and tidy. Teapots, teacups, saucers, and all manner of serving platters filled the shelves of the large hutch in the dining room. Books sat beside the couch begging to be read. In the "sewing room" rows of brightly colored fabrics lined an old cabinet.

As I was thinking about the topic of beauty, I tried to figure out what made this home so beautiful to me. It wasn't that it had the most stylish appliances and decor. It wasn't the fancy tea set in the china cabinet. I think what drew me, was the fact that my sewing teacher created an environment that made me want to learn and create. In her home she shared pieces of who she was and invited me to be a part of that.

This led me to consider what I have in my home. I started to ask myself a few questions: Do the things in my home inspire me and reflect who I am? Do the items in my home invite others to be a part of my life? Is my home a beautiful space - restful and inviting? And most importantly, is my attitude beautiful and welcoming when people are around me?

I would encourage you to join me in evaluating your home this month. What is the atmosphere and attitude in your home? I would argue that there is nothing more beautiful than being in a place where you feel safe and welcomed. A place where we can be ourselves, knowing that we're loved in spite of our flaws. I hope you'll join me in bringing beauty into your home and cultivating beauty around us.

Thanks for reading,

Abby