As the well-known quote goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It’s practically impossible to define beauty because of how different everyone and their perspective on beauty is. “Anything can be beautiful; you just need the right mind for it,” stated freshman Lu Li Thompson.
Over the past few years, a greater emphasis was placed on having an appreciation for life, people, and the world around us, as humanity crawled its way out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we as a society start to navigate both outstanding achievements and tragedies, figuring out who we are as both individuals and a community, appreciating the positive things in our lives holds immense importance in making sure we are not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally healthy.
“I think that there’s a lot of things going on in the world,” Ms. Nicole Klein, a psychology teacher, said. “While a lot of those things do deserve our attention, the things that are positive, happy moments also deserve our attention and should be celebrated. Over time, those can hopefully become our normal thought patterns and make us more inclined to think in a positive light.”
Appreciating the small, beautiful things in the world improves not only one’s mental state but also helps one gain an appreciation for the world around them.
“It’s really easy to forget about and ignore the beauty around us, so I believe we should try to notice it,” stated senior Erika von Kirchbach. “The world is stunning if we open our eyes and look for it.”
For instance, nature is said to be the world’s greatest artist, and the sky is an excellent example. The colors of the sky clash and blend into one another, during dusk and dawn, like a watercolor wash.
“I love trying to be outside and seeing the sunset every night,” Klein stated. “It’s something I try to prioritize because I love seeing how the sun looks different every day.”
Beauty doesn’t just lie in the sky, but on the ground. “One of my favorite seasons is fall, and I especially like it because of the fall colors,” stated freshman Ardra Nair. “Every tree suddenly becomes this beautiful thing to behold, even if I didn’t pay attention to it before.”
Freshman Keerthana Shridhar believes that beauty can be found in every form of life, no matter how small. “The small dandelions that grow in cracks of sidewalks [are beautiful], and fallen leaves tell the story of the tree they came from,” she said.
It’s not just things we see that are beautiful; smiles, idle conversations, and the friendships we experience throughout our lives are beautiful too.
“I think it’s beautiful when you and your best friend understand what you guys are thinking about, even if you don’t use words,” explained senior Payton Adams. “I love inside jokes and having that connection with someone.”
Beauty isn’t just a Renaissance painting or a pretty face on the cover of the latest Vogue issue; it’s in the warmth of a crooked smile, the sun dancing on the surface of a puddle on the street, and the souls of the people around you.
It is limitless and formless, even if it is found in the smallest of ladybugs or the tiniest snowflake. All you have to do to find it is look a little closer – because beauty is most of all found seeping through the cracks of a narrow definition that could never contain it.