Gray Day Beauty

We woke up to a 2014 covered in a soft, fluffy frosting.

It is one of those mornings where the sky and the snowy landscape kind of blend together. The sky is still heavy with snow.

In fact, the clouds must be kind of softly bumping together up there as every now and then a poof of snowflakes flutters down with the breeze.

The sun isn't making much of a statement today, starting the year out a bit shy.

At first glance it seems a bit gloomy but wandering outside with my camera really helps me see the beauty all around.

I don't really make New Year's Resolutions much anymore but this morning I did make just one. 

I want to be more intentional about enjoying the gift of vision. 

I want to be able to notice the loveliness more, rather than just rushing by. I want to not only delight in the fantastic colors of sunrises and sunsets, but also the softness of the gray days like today. I want to treasure the vision of faces, from the fresh, expectant newness of a child's soft face, to the faces that display more history in the fine wrinkles. I want to notice the patterns seen in nature, from the beauty of a snowflake to the delicate designs seen in new leaves. 

It occurs to me today that if I am looking more for beauty, I will see less ugliness around me. It is my hope that it will force me to manage my feelings of needing to rush, always wanting to get more accomplished. My hope is that it will center me around a calm column of gratefulness. That may be a lot to expect from the gift of vision but it is just one way of being appreciative of all that I have been given.