Making All Things Beautiful
I have a friend who makes all things beautiful. She made this cake, for a "wedding" between the dolls— well, between a stuffed animal named Red Dog and his beloved doll. My children were in attendance. What a blessing.
Sometimes, when keeping house, when working with children and the ordinary stuff of life, I neglect to make all things beautiful. But I am inspired by these words of Margaret Kim Peterson's, from her book Keeping House...
... we want everything to be quick and easy, or we think we do. But there is something in the human soul that longs for beauty beyond necessity. Of course it is easier not to make the bed. But there is a substantive difference between turning down a neatly made bed in the evening and lying down in a mess of sheets left from the night before. (p.28)
Judging by the spirit of Peterson's whole book, I do not take this to mean that I must always feel compelled to make the bed, or put fresh strawberries on a homemade cake, or host a little wedding ceremony for the dolls and invite the neighborhood children. On the other hand, I do feel a sense of wanting my life to have an overall rhythm, a weight in the direction of beauty-making as sweet and fresh as new whipped cream just now being sliced with a silver knife.
Red Dog's Wedding Cake photo, by Sara. Used with permission.
Labels: beauty, Keeping House, Margaret Kim Peterson
posted by L.L. Barkat at 9:39 AM
4 Comments:
You know, I've always thought of those sorts of touches as the "civilizing touches," as in, "Am I a civilized human being, making choices about how I spend my time, or am I going through life without thinking, without creating the patterns I want and need, and without adding to the beauty of the world?" Now, I still almost never make my bed, but some days that question moves me to add side dishes, garnish a plate, or mix a drink. (Though what it says about me that all my examples come from food, I don't know that I want to know...).
l.l.,
I so agree with your post...oh, my word...there are times when I think I'm 'wasting' time by raking this new yard and picking up teeny tiny pieces of paper left from the previous renters. Or I take that second look over my bed to be sure the wrinkles are removed...drives my Love crazy..."why do you care so much about that silly dust ruffle and about tucking in the sheets?"
But, we serve a God of beauty, a Divine architect that doesn't neglect a single stroke in order to give us, me, pleasure and so I do all that I do with the mindset that my Daddy is a God of order and beauty and I want to reflect Him.
I'll be waving back when you fly into San Antonio...we are in the city now...miss the country very much, tho! Enjoy the lodge...would love to get there one day!
daune
Ah, I love those beautiful touches. I, unfortunately, seem to have whole stretches of life in which I am too harried by responsibilities to do so. When I notice that, I make a conscious choice to slow down and savor each moment. Great post.
I have always liked chocolate in my cake, actually i like nothing but chocolate cake. If there is no chocolate, I don't eat the cake.
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