I am not feelin’ all Pollyanna about the snow. I am ready for some Spring.
Not snow Spring, I’m talkin’ like green things, flowers, bunnies, and rainbows. However, I did hear something this week that is helping me cope with this extended winter.
Beauty is inherently good. You’re probably rolling your eyes, like, “yeah, I get it.” Really, it’s deeper in our bones and biology.
Janine Benyus’ is a biologist and her career in Biomimicry hinges on looking at the amazing ways nature is designed to solve problems in the gentlest, most generous way possible, and then translate that into solving problems on a human level.
I was listening to her speak on Biomimicry and she said something that hit me on a primal level.
“Women particularly love flowers, and what they (scientists) think now, is that as we went foraging and gathering we would look for flowers- because in two weeks it would be food. It would be fruit.”
Beauty means survival. Keeping flowers in our homes calms something deep in our bones.
“We love to put our houses near water, especially sparkling water, because that means there is oxygen in it, and it won’t make our babies sick. Beauty is good. If we listen to our cells, it will keep us alive. We will create beautiful things in beautiful ways.”
As I look out over snow-covered mountains (again) it is still beautiful, so I’m taking that as a sign that it must be good. This beauty will keep us safe during fire season, and it will create the most splendid peonies and tulips, though they may be later in the season than we'd like.
I see you in this knee-deep snow, shoveling, again. Just remember, if it’s beautiful, it’s good. Stand up, straighten that kink out of your back, look at the view, take a breath, and remember that it’s good.