Back in May I attended a women's workshop hosted by Maaike ter Haar. She helps connect women from all nationalities by creating an open environment for discussions and finding your inner strength. She uses the Greek goddesses as themes for the workshops, last time it was Artemis and this time the theme was Aphrodite. During the workshop she asked a pretty general question... what is beauty? At first it seems like an easy question, then you start to realize how complex beauty is. Is it a person, inside or out? Relationships? Is it art? Words? Experiences? All of the women attending the workshop (Dutch, Mexican, Peruvian, Irish, American, & Ukrainian) are mothers, so naturally we find beauty in our families. But what was beyond that? We're from all over the world, what is considered beautiful in my country can be quite different in theirs. Age also plays a huge factor in what you find beautiful, obviously your vision of the world changes and matures. It didn't take me long to realize I had generalized beauty into nature. Nature that creates people, plants, animals, landscapes... to me there is nothing more beautiful than something created naturally. Then I narrowed it down a little further, what is something I have found consistently beautiful throughout my 31 yrs. It hit me, water, in all forms. As a kid I had posters strewn across my room with the rainforest and the ocean, as a teen I had photos of beaches taped inside my armoire. As an adult we have a large canvas picture of rocks and water hanging above our bed. Then when Maaike asked the question about what is my dream or passion for the future, one of my answers was... I'd love to own a home on the water. I can picture it, a large wooden porch overlooking a dark blue lake, trees lining the entire landscape. I wouldn't say I'm in to horoscopes (well as a kid/teen I was), but I am a Cancer, and we do love water. In this busy life we lead juggling work, relationships, and hobbies, I wonder how often we actually take the time to admire something beautiful. What's beauty to you? A well decorated home? The happiness in your child's eyes? A sparkling diamond ring? Architecture? Life? Love? All of the above, ha-ha?
Answering that question is very difficult as it is not an easy concept - that of beauty. My husband is a Cancer and would probably have chosen water, too ;)
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