Bella Rivas - Beauty

   I have been thinking a lot recently about the idea of beauty -- I have been thinking about both the subjectivity and objectivity of it. I find it so interesting that what is beautiful to one can be mundane to another. But, there are also universal themes of beauty. No one would look at a vibrant sunset at Lions Gate and respond with a simple, "it's okay." Beauty can come through many forms - it can be visual, it can be heard, it can be tasted. I also have been thinking about how as humans we strive to create beauty - whether that be through how we look, art, with words, through song, through food, in relationships, among other things. The desire of man to create ultimately stems from the fact that we have been made in the image of the Creator.

This semester has been a whirlwind. I feel as if I have not had time to breathe. Lately, I have been trying to encounter beauty in the small things. Walking back from late nights in the library, I always check to see if the stars are out. The other day, while walking to class, the song "Dance Upon the Tables" by Ian Randall Thornton came on - I was reminded of the beauty of music. I was down by the gazebo beach in Riverside on Friday, and the water reflected the color of the sky perfectly - it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. It was beautiful.

I don't have any profound thoughts on beauty - but I do know that it is always there.

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