Embracing the "Beautiful-Ugly" & Uncovering the Threads of Love That Bind Us All

Photo: Old log cabin in ruins as a storm brews in the distance. East Helena, Montana, (2011). Copyright SJPhotography

Embracing the "Beautiful-Ugly" & Uncovering the Threads of Love That Bind Us All (includes Guided Meditation)

Between the cracks and crevices of our warring selves, the good and the bad, the flexible and the stubborn, the rule follower and the rebel, the weak and the strong, the empowered and the victimized, there are threads of relief woven into our messy inner and outer worlds of contrast and uncertainty. Ribbons of grace gently offer us a glimpse of respite, of sweet pauses reminding us of our enoughness and worthiness, and ushering us back to our center, our beautiful being, and our home of presence and love. This boundless love is found in the pause between breaths; in the tranquil spaces in nature or with animals or a loved one that gives us time to recalibrate, come home to ourselves to recenter and ground, remember, and realize that everything is okay – that we are okay just as we are – in the here and now. These are the islands on which we find solace and easy breaths, that can last for hours, days, weeks, or longer, or come and go like a flicker of lightning. No matter how short or how long these moments come into our lives it is enough to know that they are always there.

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.

_Etty Hillesum, “Etty Hillesum: Essential Writings”

Contrast is everything. It is life whispering that in order to know beauty we must also know and accept ugliness. Imagine a dirty city street and a tiny wildflower blooming happily in a crack in the sidewalk. It has no worry or fear that it has chosen wrongly – only that it is alive and blooming and breathing. There is a greater sense of beauty and relief when we are aware of the stark contrast. Contrast adds depth and dimension to our experiences, and helps us recognize and appreciate the positive aspects along with the negative or less attractive elements. To embrace the beautiful and the ugly, or the good and the bad is to know the space in between – where relief and pause, and appreciation and vitality live, and show us how extraordinary and complete we are in every moment.

Let’s be wildflowers; let our souls be scattered by the wind. Let us grow, wild and free, tall and brave, in the places that we dream, in the places where our longings are filled. Let us grow between the cracks of brokenness, and we will make everything beautiful.

_Gaby Compres, “The Words I Want You to Keep”