Beauty in Everything

I'm not going to write, "hey, I'm Richard, I'm new at this blogging thing", because it's not true. I'm not new to blogging, but it's been a long time. And back then, I just wrote silly things that I figured made me sound philosophical and deep.

Not much has changed, really.

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Recently, as in today, I had a few conversations with a couple of friends concerning and idea that had popped in my head. I like to sum up this idea in a wise sounding saying: "A secret to happiness is finding beauty in any situation".

Now by this I don't mean the conventional optimism. I'm speaking, for one thing, of contentedness. To be content is to find the beauty in the situation you are in. This involves being thankful to God for putting you in that situation.

This also applies to relationships. And by relationships, I mean those with the opposite sex. I was reminded this summer during a Bible Study I did with my friends of the importance of contentedness in my status (I didn't want to say relationship status, because that's too... Facebooky). It is important to realize the beauty and be content with the idea of being single before entering into a relationship.

Another meaning to be pulled out of this concept could be finding beauty in your current location. Living in the Fraser Valley makes this easy. We have copious amounts of stunning lakes, myriads of coniferous trees, and mountains all around. On a recent trip to Smithers, I didn't feel the same way, at least not immediately. We arrived at night, in the dark, in the rain. I felt that I was in an alien place, and quite uncomfortable. The next morning, however, we drove on a small road, regarded by birches on either side, and refreshed by the crisp, cool atmosphere. Then I began to feel comfortable and relaxed. This is when I realized the beauty of Smithers. Even more so later when enjoying the astounding Northern Lights from a hot tub at 2 in the morning.

Lately I find that it is not hard to find the beauty in my situation. God has blessed me incredibly, and I and constantly reminded of this by my friends, music, literature, and everything else I love. When rating troubles on a global scale, a tough essay ranks very, very low.

- Richard Baartman