Quote: “The ‘often’ unseen beauty is the obvious harmony that holds each side, each polarity, with an undying acceptance for it to be what it is. Why? Because it has to be what it is in order for everything else to be what it is.”
Could it be possible that the beauty we don’t see, does not mean “beauty isn’t there”?
This reflection reminds me of my weekend spent in Stockholm. After sitting with a small group of beautiful hearts for a total of about 12 hours, I am left with a softness that is unafraid of whatever appears to be ugly.
We explored so much; listening to both words and the silence, while also allowing ourselves to be raw, real, and vulnerable. Regardless of the day’s subject or questions asked, what I kept seeing was a transformation from fearing the ugly to seeing just how beautiful it is.
Yes, sure, I agree. There are things in this life that ‘appear’ to be ugly. There are also things that smell, taste, and feel really bad. Yes, there is the apparent opposite of what we long for. Yet, are we willing to see how they all go together? Are we willing to see that the light can only be light because there is darkness for it to flow into? If there is to be something called light, there MUST be something called dark. Has it not always been this way, in all manner of shapes and sizes, since the beginning? Has there not always been the opposite of what we enjoy, the opposite of what tastes delicious, the opposite of what feels joyously orgasmic? The opposite of what we consider to be kindness, and the opposite of what feels like freedom?
Shall we destroy the ugly, shall we condemn the distasteful and the unkind? Or, is there an opportunity to understand these required expressions that simply make possible the experiences we long to connect with?
The ‘often’ unseen beauty is the obvious harmony that holds each side, each polarity, with an undying acceptance for it to be what it is. Why? Because it has to be what it is in order for everything else to be what it is. The unseen beauty is seen when each side melts into the other, no longer resisting one end and gasping for the other. Rather, there is a dance being observed, a melody that is allowed to play out, and a space within what we are that has the capacity to simply give Life back to Life.
In addition, this expansion of beauty occurs as we witness the inevitable outcome of these polarities dancing. This outcome, much like the culmination of the human journey, is a growth adventure that leads everything back to the metaphorical “Heart of God.” The music, with its notes and silence, the something and nothing, creates a magic that draws you into the present moment. The rotation of day and night, holding space for both play and rest, for both loud and quiet, for both activity and stillness. All of which are expressed through an aliveness that allows us to embark on this incredible journey to uncover the depth of this miracle we are immersed in. My goodness.
My dears, life knows exactly what She’s doing. The question here, for me, is… “Can I relax a little bit and release my resistance that – thinks I know – what She should be doing?”
As I examine my fear, which is the source of my resistance, there is a fear that She might get it wrong. “Wrong for whom?” I ask. “Wrong for life to be life? Wrong for this miracle to keep spinning? Wrong for the harmony and balance to be maintained?” Or… “Wrong for who I think I am and what I think is missing, this little one, who does not yet see the fullness of what I already am?”
Funny enough, as I see myself more clearly – as I see that I am not these thoughts, stories, and impossible imaginations. I also see what this “Life” has created: the realness and totality of what I am, and it’s beautiful. Forged from the fires of life, birthed through pain, hardship, and disappointment. How obvious it is that the love I now have in my heart was only made possible by everything I once resisted, by everything I once thought was against me. No, no, no. It was all for me. It was all there to help me see myself, others, and life more clearly. She knew exactly what She was doing the whole time.
I can relax now. I can bow down to life and the miracle it has created so that I might see it more clearly, which only helps me truly see myself. This was never about me. This was, is, and always will be about the wholeness of life; about everything. The unseen beauty is to see God in it all, to see a love that holds it altogether.
