My Most Beautiful Thing
Today I'm taking part in a blogsplash titled 'My Most Beautiful Thing'. It was inspired by Fiona Robyn's new book, The Most Beautiful Thing. You can find more information on the blogsplash here.
When I started to think about what 'my most beautiful thing' could be, I found my mind travelling along many branches of thought. Some ended in sawn off stumps. Others furled out and and onwards into a narrowing path which reached further into the sky than I could see. All of them had merit but none of them alone were right.
I have my mother's silver locket which holds photographs of her parents and her grandmother. I have a book of important dates, a gift from my great grandfather Alfred to his future wife. I have my extensive collection of photographs, online and in albums, that stretches back a hundred years. There's my engagement ring, a circular diamond in a plain setting that speaks to me more of eternity and harmony than bling and money. There's the diamante jewellery gifted to me from my mother and two aunts. I have so many precious memories too - each beautiful in their own right.
My most beautiful thing is all of this. It is the tree of individuals - some living, some passed - who have led me to this moment. That tree holds my parents' love of the stage and books, their parents' striving to make better lives, eccentricities and stories that have fired my imagination, my husband's acceptance of who I truly am, and my children's opening of my heart. All of these faces, these lives, these twigs and leaves, blossoms and fruits have inspired me, and driven me, and made me who I am. How much more beautiful could anything be to me than this?
When I started to think about what 'my most beautiful thing' could be, I found my mind travelling along many branches of thought. Some ended in sawn off stumps. Others furled out and and onwards into a narrowing path which reached further into the sky than I could see. All of them had merit but none of them alone were right.
I have my mother's silver locket which holds photographs of her parents and her grandmother. I have a book of important dates, a gift from my great grandfather Alfred to his future wife. I have my extensive collection of photographs, online and in albums, that stretches back a hundred years. There's my engagement ring, a circular diamond in a plain setting that speaks to me more of eternity and harmony than bling and money. There's the diamante jewellery gifted to me from my mother and two aunts. I have so many precious memories too - each beautiful in their own right.
My most beautiful thing is all of this. It is the tree of individuals - some living, some passed - who have led me to this moment. That tree holds my parents' love of the stage and books, their parents' striving to make better lives, eccentricities and stories that have fired my imagination, my husband's acceptance of who I truly am, and my children's opening of my heart. All of these faces, these lives, these twigs and leaves, blossoms and fruits have inspired me, and driven me, and made me who I am. How much more beautiful could anything be to me than this?
Love the idea of continuity, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteFi, I love your tree of individuals. Each trinket of story from our loved ones whispers a word of cheer and gives a pat of comfort. Put together, they make up a huge part of us and welcome us home ~ every time we need one.
ReplyDeleteClaudine
http://www.carryusoffbooks.com/blog.html
This post is beautiful, Fi. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful writing! The continuity in life becomes more apparent and beautiful to me the older I get, and also the importance of having some knowledge about the generations before us.
ReplyDeletewonderful x
ReplyDeleteI love this, Fiona. Thanks for putting me on your blogroll. You write beautifully.
ReplyDeleteFi, how wonderful! I enjoyed your post so much :)
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful... I like the thought of a tree of life that has lead you to now.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the lovely (or should I say 'beautiful'?) comments.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and appropriate. What lovely sentiment.
ReplyDelete