10 Beautiful Things, vol. 6
My dishwasher made it onto this list, among other life-giving things
Good morning! This is 10 Beautiful Things, where I’ll share ten things I’ve found beautiful this week, online or off. In sharing them, I hope to share some beauty with you, and encourage you to find (and share!) some beautiful things of your own.
Needing to run a full dishwasher every night for the past week because of all the friends we’ve hosted recently, evenings full of laughter and getting to know loved ones better than we knew them before.
Discovering a new part of Arlington by way of my gps keeping me out of highway traffic. I have lived here for nearly six years now and there is still so much to uncover about this city!
For the past few weeks, I’ve been undertaking an interior design project for Coracle. On Sunday, I had a team of about ten volunteers help me paint the space, including a dear friend who came all the way from central Virginia. Many hands making light work? Incredibly beautiful.
Rosie the dog was a big help too As an aside to the interior design project: though a lot of work, it’s been fun to spearhead a creative project like this and bring beauty to a new space – especially by adding color to the walls, which I haven’t been able to do in any place I’ve ever lived (#renterlife). My nine-year-old self would be ecstatic.
This week, I’ve been re-listening to Carrie and Lowell.1 Not only is the album a work of songwriting art, but also was introduced to me towards the end of my study abroad in 2017, during a visit to Swiss L’Abri. It feels apt to listen to it again as I prepare for life overseas!
Listen to John My Beloved while taking in this view for a phenomenological glimpse of my May 2017 Lilacs finally in bloom!
One of my favorite Substacks to follow, Feeling! Magazine, just rebranded and is offering lots of new lovely posts. I have been a longtime follower of Jenna and love her vision of making everyday life fun, creative, and meaningful. Read her most recent post on becoming the creative director of your own house.
Seeing longtime friends in new relationships and getting to meet their significant others.
This quote I’ve never noticed before from The Great Divorce, which my small group is reading together right now. (Thanks to Cassidy for pointing this out to me!)
"Well, come," said the Spirit: and for a few paces he supported the hobbling shadow forward to the East.
"Of course," said the Ghost, as if speaking to itself, "there'll always be interesting people to meet. . . ."
"Everyone will be interesting."
"Oh-ah-yes, to be sure. I was thinking of people in our own line. Shall I meet Claude? Or Cezanne? Or-----."
"Sooner or later-if they're here."
"But don't you know?"
"Well, of course not. I've only been here a few years. All the chances are against my having run across them . . . there are a good many of us, you know."
"But surely in the case of distinguished people, you'd hear?"
"But they aren't distinguished-no more than anyone else. Don't you understand? The Glory flows into everyone, and back from everyone: like light and mirrors. But the light's the thing."
"Do you mean there are no famous men?"
"They are all famous. They are all known, remembered, recognised by the only Mind that can give a perfect judgment.”
What’s something beautiful you found this week?
I feel I should add a bit of a content warning, as this album explores some very heavy themes such as grief, death of a parent, and self harm. It really is a gorgeous album – also exploring things like healing, forgiveness, Christian spirituality without platitudes, and formational beauty! – but be discerning if any of these heavier topics aren’t healthy for you to engage with.