What an awful thing to say!

People have said this to me so many times that I have this freaky sensation when it's about to happen.  I feel blood rush to my head and my ears start pounding.  Wow, you must have a lot of time on your hands.  I think to myself: I just shared with you something that I thought was really beautiful and important so I made it a priority in my life and all you could do was disassemble everything that I thought was Good and True.  (Well, that's how it makes me feel anyway.)  And of course, I know why they say it.  It's because they feel overwhelmed by life and don't think they have the freedom to make things beautiful, which I get.  I mean, I really get it!  But what an awful thing to say!

I think it is not only pleasurable to be around beautiful things, but it is also necessary for your sanity.  Order is beautiful.  Good art is beautiful.  Imagination is beautiful.  Intentionality is beautiful.  I like to make things beautiful, in any way that I can.  It makes life better.  So when people say that, I get really self-conscious about my whole lifestyle.  It's like they're saying everything that I value in my "world" is silly. 

It's your world too, you know?  You can make your surroundings more beautiful, if you want.  It has nothing to do with money.  It is about intentionality.  My mom always reminds me that you make time for the things that you want.  And I want to be around beautiful things.  So I make it a priority.

And I think about my son.  He'll undoubtedly feel like making his things beautiful.  It seems to be only natural for children.  Of course, for a young boy this probably will amount to being imaginative (an element of beauty!) with his surroundings like making swords from sticks, and guns from tin foil.  I could never say to him Stop being creative and do something practical.  It's clear you have a lot of time on your hands.   

Making things beautiful is not idling.  It improves that which already is.  And it breaks my heart when people fail to see that.