Beauty of a Moment by Barry Hughes

On this day, my walk included a glance at my backyard roses that are in the process of adjusting to the heat of a Texas summer. I was struck, as always, by the contrast of the new blooms and the faded roses. Every time I tend them, I pause and take in the unique beauty of both.

Each new bud brings an excitement and anticipation all its own. I frequently wonder why one bush blooms in bunches and another more slowly, a few buds at a time. I often find myself wishing I had the talent to paint so that I might capture this beauty that seems almost of another world.

As the flowers fade from day to day, I am struck by how quickly their time passes. It seems a shame, really, that such beauty be so fleeting. I want to capture the peak of their beauty and hold it fast. But, then again, perhaps this is the way of much that is truly beautiful.

A single day is short, just twenty four hours, yet a single day can hold so much that we celebrate the beauty of it across the rest of our lives: a wedding day, a day of birth, a day of recovery.

Even one moment, brief and fleeting as it may be, can hold such beauty that life is never the same: the loving touch of a hand, a first kiss, a act of gratitude received, shared laughter that sets our spirits free. True beauty is found in the transformation that we experience, regardless of the ticking of the clock.

We can experience beauty, not only in the glorious days of full bloom, but all along the way from first bud to the last falling petal. Each moment holds beauty, enough to change our life and enough to bless our world. Every moment could hold a beauty that might transform us by its power. My we have eyes to see the beauty around us.

Peace.