Finding the Beauty in our Everyday Lives
“To Behold Beauty dignifies your life; it heals you and calls you out beyond the smallness of your own self-limitation to experience new horizons. To experience beauty is to have your life enlarged”
- John O’Donohue, “The Invisible Embrace Beauty”
I love living in my small town of Haddonfield NJ. Every Saturday morning during the summer months, there is a Farmer’s Market in King’s Court, the town center. Live music streams in from the gazebo at the end of the brick courtyard, while two rows of crepe myrtle trees provide shade from the hot sun. A heart shaped metal sculpture at the end of the block is a popular place for photos.
Local farmers gather each week at the market to sell their delicious produce, alongside artisans, bakers and jewelers. One of my favorite vendors is Muth Family Farm, a local mom and pop flower grower. The talented and always cheerful owner Mary Ellen Muth hand selects flowers such as zinnias, sunflowers and marigolds to create beautiful summer bouquets.
It’s so much fun to chat with Mary Ellen about her day and how to keep the flowers looking fresh. She truly cares about each bouquet that she creates and eagerly awaits news of how the previous week’s flowers held up. People wait patiently in line and for some, like me, waiting is part of the appeal. I get to chat with the other market goers in line about their favorite flowers, where they plan on displaying their bouquet, and what their favorite thing about the Farmer’s Market is. These small chats may seem insignificant, but I truly enjoy connecting with my fellow beauty seekers. Waiting in other kinds of lines can feel like a chore, but in this case I’m rewarded with a beautiful arrangement that adds zest and color to my home all week.
It’s amazing, since they don’t cost a lot or last forever, but there’s something about flowers that makes people happy! They are ethereal and delicate. Perhaps that’s why we appreciate and admire them while we can.
It’s such a simple act, buying flowers for oneself, but it feels like a luxury, a special treat.
I think the way we live in our homes should leave room for these little moments that lift our spirits. If having a fresh bouquet of flowers does that for you, then by all means go for it and enjoy! There is beauty all around us if we take the time to open our eyes and experience joyful living through every day experiences.
Cheers!
~ Angela