Thinking back at all the beautiful things I have seen on vacation I found that I really don't pay attention to things at all. I have always been more interested in the beauty I saw in the nature around me and the beauty I saw in the people I was with and the beauty of their actions.
I have seen rare gems and the beauty of the marble of the Taj Mahal. I have seen how those gems spread a glow to the whole stone and light up the marble in colors. I have seen optical illusions in the building and beautiful mysteries in the architecture.
I have seen peacocks open their beautiful wings and humming birds buzz and a flock of parrots fly through the trees. I have seen a school of fish in the Caribbean and have watched the colors gleam from the afternoon sun. I have seen penguins dance and I have watched the waves splash. They were all things of beauty that I could never create with a brush or with clay.
I sailed with my brother on his yacht and saw the beautiful waves splash against the side of the boat. I looked out over the skyline and saw the beautiful buildings standing strong in the afternoon sun. These sky scrappers represented a hundred years of modern architecture, but honestly they were a little cold.
What I remember most that day was the pastrami and Guinness that we bought at the Italian deli and the people I ate and drank with. I still remember their smiles as if they were a treasure. In all the beauty of the world the thing I remember the most are the smiles and laughs of people.
A painter became famous on public television for painting wet on wet. One of the distinguishing features of his paintings is nature with no human beings present in the painting. It's his choice to paint like that, but it always feels to me like something is missing.
It's hard to look back at beautiful places or beautiful things without remembering the beautiful people I was with. That's what made it beautiful.
If I had to say what was the single most beautiful thing I saw on vacation I would say it was a hug. The world is so busy and crazy at times that no one really catches the beauty of a moment. One person is exercising. Another person is trying to make a buck. They are all looking for beautiful things but no one takes a step back and says, "Wait this is beautiful." It is all beautiful in perspective and at the moment.
We walked through the art institute. We saw the Chagall windows. We walked through daily plaza and saw the Picasso. That really wasn't as impressive as the beautiful thing we saw along the Lake shore that afternoon.
We saw a couple hug together and just enjoy the moment. They were not posing for a picture or trying to look like something they are not. They just forgot everything and enjoying a beautiful moment. That thing is called a hug. I think it is the most beautiful thing in the world. It is definitely the most beautiful thing I have seen on vacation and I think we all need a hug.
For the next few weeks I will be on vacation in the desert. I don't know if I will see beautiful things or just a scorpion but I know I will be looking for a hug.
Happy travels
All pictures here were taken with my camera on vacation.
