Friday reflection
Sharing beauty
I love a magazine called The Sun, and this week on Instagram I saw the founder, Sy Safransky, share that what’s important to him today is what was important to him back in 1974: putting out a publication that celebrates the beauty, and the sadness, of being alive. The idea of celebrating sadness fascinates me. For today, knowing the intensity that so many of you are living with right now, I decided to lean into a celebration of beauty. Here are a few reflections on beauty I found in 2023 — and, I hope you’ll hit reply, or comment, and share something beautiful.
Playing is beautiful. Seeing Amy Poehler and Tina Fey live on tour was one of the highlights of my year/life; I turned to Jordan in the middle of the show and said, “I’ve never been so happy.” (I’m seeing the show again in February - check to see if it’s coming to your neck of the woods!) As I wrote here, “To see two intelligent, creative women on stage in front of hundreds of people having fun together — it felt radical. It felt like oxygen and electricity. It felt like, ‘This is missing from what we're doing: The joy we feel when we create things together. The joy of self-expression and sisterhood and PLAY.’” I’m reminded of the quote (if you can overlook the male-centric language), “Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play” (Heraclitus). Our right to rest is gaining cultural traction; in 2024, let’s also reclaim our right to play.
Belonging is beautiful. Yesterday we had our first family conference at my daughter’s new school — that’s right, not a parent/teacher conference, but a “family” conference, which was primarily a conversation between Ali and her teachers; Jordan and I were secondary participants. As teacher after teacher articulated the strengths they see Ali bringing to the school community and the ways in which they’ve seen her grow over the last few months, and the reasons they’re proud of her, her face stretched into the biggest, proudest smile. It was beautiful, and I couldn’t help but wonder: imagine if we could all experience what it was like to feel that seen, and that valued, by our community. How might the world be different?
Neurodivergence is beautiful. This year I saw so many more women talking about their neurodivergence online, especially on Instagram, and that made my heart happy. When I was growing up, it was rare to hear about someone with ADHD or autism, and if you did, that someone was almost certainly a boy; fast-forward, and a lot of women my age (late 40s) are only now realizing how their brains are wired, and are processing profound grief at all the years they thought they were stupid, or lazy, or (insert insulting language here). To see more of these women speaking openly about their experiences and finding connection and support online has truly been beautiful.
Oh, and one more thing:
You.
You are beautiful.
It may sound glib, but I mean it. I feel this way about every single woman I meet. I see her trying. I see her power, either fully expressed, or in bursts, or bubbling beneath the surface. No matter your physical attributes, your size, your skin color, your age, your level of ability…no matter your complexion, the clothes you wear or the way your hair is styled…you are beautiful.
“Sometimes it’s like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It’s like you see them through a special lens — but maybe if it’s how you see them, that’s how they really are.”
- Jenny Han
Ok, now it’s your turn: What’s something that you experienced or noticed that was beautiful in 2023? Please share in the comments.
I can’t wait to hear from you.
Amanda
