January 28
There are times in life when what is beautiful, hopeful, and joyful appears before us like a star through a telescope, shining bright and constant in a clear, dark sky.
Maybe it’s the message in your inbox you've been waiting for the longest time, or it’s the sudden realization of a dream you want to pursue. Perhaps it's the possibility of a new relationship, a reunion that might help you find closure, or maybe it’s exciting news that could change everything.
These telescope moments, with their clarity and brilliance, have a way of illuminating the best possibilities. Even in moments when the thing we are waiting for is far away, there's still this glimmer of anticipation.
But the challenge of those telescopic moments is just that: those beautiful things may seem too far away as you wait for them. And it may seem that no matter how much you sharpen your focus to reveal what’s so beautiful about them, you remain at a distance. With the stars being so far away, sometimes, you might crave something good that is much closer.
There’s another kind of scope you might consider in this place: a kaleidoscope. Like the telescope, it also reveals beauty. You turn the cylinder, and it reveals a mosaic of color and light. However, the little colorful beads inside a kaleidoscope are not quite as grand as the stars you would see in a telescope. What a kaleidoscope reveals is transient and so quick you might almost miss it. However, these smaller moments are not less important:
It's a hug from a friend when you really need it. It's the song that plays at the right time. It's a warm cup of tea or a cold glass of water. It's the way you feel when you're sending a text with love, letting someone know you were thinking about them.
The stars that are revealed in the telescope are more likely to be deemed as important and worthy of serious consideration. Kaleidoscope moments are smaller and seemingly mundane, but they too can bring joy, comfort, and beautiful things.
Of course, noticing what is beautiful and good right here where we are is far more complex than simply looking through a telescope or kaleidoscope, but what we can learn from these different perspectives is that there is room for different ways of turning our "scope" in daily life. From the grand moments to the more intimate ones, there is room to explore what is beautiful right here. They don’t take away from one another. Instead, whether up close or far away, the good that we notice adds depth and meaning. Right here, there is room to explore and savor the beauty of what good you find right here.
