Many thanks to Emma at Charming the Birds from the Trees. I wandered onto her blog a few weeks ago and discovered the challenge, A Commitment to Loveliness:
“All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life!”
My first attempt at completing five things has taken three weeks, but what fun I’ve had!
Roses for my table. Frame and hang art posters. Read one poem. Plan a party. Choose a new fountain pen.
The wonderful aspect of the list is the delightful process involved in completing each and the long-term enjoyment rendered by taking the time. Fresh flowers make me smile. Art on my walls inspires my own creativity. Planning a party and hosting a party for my friends was just plain fun. The fountain pen, a Christmas gift from my parents, will accompany my journaling each morning.
The most surprising was ‘reading one poem.’ I made a cup of tea and selected Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Rather than just read them, I selected a few of my favorites and read aloud, letting the language, cadence, and images work their magic. “Reading one poem” turned into a much deeper sensory experience, a lectio divina.