PRAYING WITH BEAUTY (The proudest moment of my life)

Praying with Beauty

When my father passed away after a bicycle accident a few years ago, we had 72 hours to spend with him before he died.  He was unconscious for most of it.  People are often aghast when they hear the story of how suddenly it all happened, but actually, those precious three days felt almost luxurious.  I believe his final act of kindness was staying alive so that we could take the time we needed to process and say goodbye.

I had the profound privilege of being with him when he died. It was surreal to be with the person who brought me into the world at the precise moment he made his exit. In that somber and swollen moment just after his spirit had left his body, it felt like a prayer was in order, however words didn’t seem sufficent.  They felt cumbersome and complicated in a moment so pure.

So, I began to pray with beauty.

I took a yellow rose I had brought from home and peeled off the petals one by one, walking around his bed and adorning his body.  Each petal was a prayer of love, a tangible tribute to his physical form.

I then took an essential oil blend called “release”, and I anointed his forehead, followed by the bottoms his feet, symbolizing my prayer for him to have a smooth transition, and letting him know he was free.

Beauty takes moments that could be riddled with and darkness, and miraculously, it lets in the light.

Without beauty, this memory could have been a trauma in itself. But because of beauty, I will always remember my Dad's body shining as beautifully as a bright yellow rose.

Beauty not only heals, it entices. For example, this week I got invited to two co-working dates.  One took place in a crowded, noisy coffee shop a few minutes from my house.  The other, hosted by my friend Marianne, was about a 30-minute drive through the mountains.  Marianne’s invitation however, featured homemade zucchini fritters followed by a visit to a nearby swimming hole where the water is so clear you can see straight to the bottom.

It was an easy choice to make.

Beauty can take a dull and ordinary workday, and transform it into something romantic, memorable, and extraordinary.

So the next time you feel the urge to put a wedge of lime in your water glass, light a candle next to your bedside, or spend a little extra time massaging your face as you cleanse it at night, please remember that these things are not frivolous, or silly, or a waste of time. That in fact, is a form of prayer.

Oh so Fondly,

Mary