Sidewalk Art - NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR

There are many things that make us wealthy.  The abundance and variety of beauty that surrounds us is one of them.

I find beauty much like I find joy–sprinkled lavishly as freckles on the golden cheeks of a child at summer’s end.  Finding beauty adds dimension to the moments of our lives; making their relative shortness wide and deep.

Yesterday I found loveliness unexpected in the form of sidewalk art. What must have taken a fair amount of time, artistry and chalk lingers for countless passers by to appreciate.  What a wonderful, surprising gift.

Life is rich, indeed.

Welcome

Mom and I spent yesterday wandering.  Mostly on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland.  The neighborhood there is a vibrant and fun and more than a little funky.

The neighborhood is that way, of course, because that’s how the people are who live and work there.  It’s a very welcoming place, with welcoming people.  What I love about them is that they are not afraid to show it.

They are not timid in anticipation of rejection or judgement.  They wear their welcoming on their sleeves and give you the option of taking or leaving it. They are open and confident and free of the need for the good opinion of others.

They paint their houses in any combination of colors that please them and proudly post their desires for “Peace on Earth” where ever they see fit (look closely at the window).

Strolling among such honest, endearing homes it’s easy to be swept up in the warm embrace of joy; content and grateful to find a pocket of life lived out loud.