The assumption that beauty is an accessory, and dispensable, shows we don't understand the importance of giving the soul what it needs. The soul is nurtured by beauty. The soul craves beauty and in its absence suffers. Beauty is arresting. It is important to be taken out of the rush of practical life for the contemplation of timeless and eternal realities. You may find yourself driving along a highway when you suddenly pass a vista that catches your breath. You stop the car, get out for just a few moments when the soul glimpses an occasion for beauty, if only passing a store window and stopping for a second to notice a beautiful ring or an arresting pattern in a dress. Outwardly, of course, nothing is accomplished. We may not buy the ring that has caught our eye, or photograph the vista. The point is simply to feed the soul a sight that invites contemplation. Living, soulfully, might require something as simple as pausing.
(Thomas Moore)
Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
