I’m watching the light paint the corner of the living room this morning. The leaves on my ZZ plant are standing tall and shiny, preening under the sun. The books on my shelves are haphazardly arranged, waiting patiently for me to look up from my Kindle or my phone to finally pick one of them up. There are small pieces of handmade pottery scattered all over, the kind that looks like it was made by your crazy tita (aunt) who recently took up pottery. (Spoiler alert: I’m that crazy tita.)
This is my everyday view. But today, it seems extraordinarily beautiful to me. I did not recently renovate my house. I didn’t even rearrange any of the furniture.
The difference is my decision to see the magic and beauty in the everyday, to look beyond chaos, brokenness, turmoil and mess.
Is this something you want to try this month? One weekend morning, sit with a cup of coffee in your hands, maybe a book beside you. Look around. See your home with fresh eyes. Don’t look at the frayed pillow cases, the wall that needs repainting, the carpet that needs cleaning, the clutter that needs to be sorted and tidied away.
Instead, find that little souvenir you carefully packed among your sweaters from the trip you took to Mexico. Or see the collection that you painstakingly built through the years. Look at the painting that you excitedly took home from Art in the Park after a fun conversation with the artist. Or let your eyes rest on the plant that keeps growing despite the chaos around it and your neglect.
Find beauty in your life this February. It’s not out there—a future and elusive dream. It’s already here, I promise.
