Wednesday morning on my walk I noticed the lovely sunrise immediately.  I chased it block-to-block for wherever I could see it more clearly. Seeing the rare roses, pinks, and golds of the palette were as sweet as candy!

This winter has been warmer, but monochromatic.  Heather gray is the predominant color.  Looking out the window this afternoon, I see a sweatsuit gray sky, greiged, crusty snow, and dark puddles.  The parking lot lights have come on (it’s noon) already.  We’ve had so many gray days, I make sure I’m getting a Vitamin D daily.  (I’m in no danger of getting rickets.)

The glorious sunrise is the obvious choice for beauty, but there is a difference finding beauty in the gray today.  The light is softer, more like variations on a theme.  The farm field beyond the parking lot is slightly foggy and silvered.  The bare brown trees near the building take on sepia contrast tones.  The wet road is shinier. The rain leaves trails on the windows. The feeling turns one quiet, muted, pushing me to be home, with a small fire burning, a book to read, and a hand-made blanket covering my legs.

Dug-for beauty isn’t really about looking really hard, working for it or earning it.  It’s really reflective of your experience when you notice how much better looking a person gets as you learn more about him or her, how kind they are, and how much they like you.