Wabi Sabi

Hello again,

Anyone who has read my blog more than once will have knowledge of my darling friend, Journey. She has taught me so many things and is constantly bringing new concepts into my life. Journey loves Wabi Sabi and I'm only beginning to learn about this fascinating Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. Thank you, Old Same, for this awareness!

I was at my sister's one day and snapped a few pictures of her hydrangea bush because the color was so vastly different from mine. It was only when I got home and downloaded the pictures that I realized there was a large spider perched on the bloom. I realized then that I might not have thought it so gorgeous if I'd realized at the time that a spider (which I hate) was in the picture. It really gave me pause for thought! How many times had I passed up beauty because what I noticed was the object's imperfection?

Though the edges of some petals on this bloom have turned brown, I think those imperfections only enhance the beauty of this lavender hydrangea:

As I was considering the Wabi Sabi idea one of my oldest treasures came to mind, sending me to my cedar chest to find this odd looking stuffed animal, which holds a special place in my heart. He lives in my cedar chest now to protect him from the cats! He was a gift from my great-aunt on my first Christmas. When I was little I slept with him every night and just KNEW that he was the guardian of my dreams and my protection from nightmares and monsters. I called him my Teddy Bear. Even when I was a teenager he perched on my bed. When I was in high school my cousin pointed out that this was no bear, but rather a mouse. I had never noticed! Seriously! Like the Skin-horse in the Velveteen Rabbit, my teddy bear/mouse was so dearly loved that his fur was rubbed off. Over the years his blue eyes have faded, giving him a slightly scary look. It doesn't matter...when I look at him I feel only love!

The old saying "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" holds very true for me. I've always loved Dolly's asymetrical markings but assumed I was just biased. Many other people have told me she is a beautiful cat so clearly my bias is not making me wrong :) But her beauty has taken on a different aspect how. My Dolly has cancer in her jaw. As you can see, Dolly's right cheek is now larger than her left. The cancer is clearly spreading. Her right eye is a bit smaller than her left now. In this picture she was reacting to being awakened by the flash of my camera so she appears a bit drowsy. But whatever her expression - to me, even in her imperfection, she is just perfect.

Thanks for stopping by to visit. I hope you find beauty in the imperfect world around you. I would love to hear from you!