If All You See Is Ugly…

So today I want to share with you something I wrote several years ago. A lesson that I have had to learn many times in my life. The good news is, there was always someone who arrived in my life to remind me or re-teach me this lesson. And because of that I am aware that there is the need right now to share it, remind you of it, or step in to teach you this for the first time. The bad news is, for some it may only be a temporary lesson. I will have hope that it hits many of you to the core, and the lesson will be long-lasting as it is needed today more than ever.

Today we are living in such an angry, hate-filled world and it is really easy to get sucked into it, even if we do not want to. The negativity surrounds us, engulfs us, and overwhelms us. I too find it a struggle some days to not allow myself to get sucked in. Then just as I am about to make the leap, I feel it; the tug of love that burns so deeply within, begs to come out. When I let it out then I begin to see things a little differently. Before I know it, I am engulfed and overwhelmed by a completely different feeling that wants to explode and radiate out to save everyone else. Here is my poem that I hope will give us all a new perspective:

             
                      If All You See is Ugly

If all you see is ugly
Then surrounded by ugly you will be
I find, if you take a closer look
Some beauty you just might see

For with the rain come blossoms
on flowers, shrubs, and trees
That cannot grow until water 
has filled a vital need

Even with the summer heat 
or bitter winter cold, come
things that we forget about
Things we used to know

Things like bright blue skies,
butterflies, and seashells in the sand
Like the sun reflecting off the new fallen snow,
cocoa with marshmallows, and a caroling clan

And even in that angry crowd
someone is smiling on their way
If you allow their smile to greet you
it becomes a brand new day

So take this piece of advice from me
And look for the beauty in the ugly you see
You just might find that one day you'll awake
And surrounded by all that beauty, you will be.

By,
Laura Standrowicz
January 2009

Here lately I have been finding this poem comforting. It has been making me notice the smallest, simplest, and most beautiful things in my day. Things that bring a smile and joy to me. The more surrounded I am with them, the more I want to share them with others. I hope it does the same for you, brings you comfort in a not so comfortable day. I implore you to try it, to try to find the daily small things that add beauty to your life and be thankful for them. The more you see, the more I am sure you will want to point out to others, as it should be.

I am going to try to shut the negative out of my life and hope that you will find a way to as well. It will not be easy, but I have learned that baby steps are still steps in the right direction. And when I try to view my life, like that of the baby, whose steps I am taking, I recognize the awe that it is, just as they do.

What small things do you find beautiful? Can you point them out to all of us and bring a little beauty to our lives?