I’ve always loved beauty. I’ve often dreamed of being an interior decorator. So it’s no surprise that I used to subscribe to House Beautiful 
and pick up copies of Better Homes & Gardens at the grocery store. I’d flag some pages and make notes in the margins. I was planning my dream house while living in a tiny apartment.
Catholics say that beauty is one of the transcendentals that has its origin in God. God is Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and Unity. So beauty is not just a good thing. It’s necessary for a full life.
Back when I was single, I was working three jobs for a total of sixty or more hours a week. Some days I was so stressed, I needed outside help to find peace. I would drive to the Minneapolis Institute of Art a couple miles away and stare at my favorite paintings. Suddenly I’d be taking those slow, deep breaths that clear the mind and seem to clear the soul. A sense of well-being would flow over me. Then I could go home and greet my roommate with a smile before I hurried off to my evening’s work.
Continue reading my guest post at Suscipio-for Catholic Women.
arzainal
Reblogged this on ARZcreation.com.
Gina
Connie, I read the full post and I really appreciate it. You have given me some real food for thought.
On a side note, several years ago, I was at the Minneapolis Art Institute and came across “The Rug Merchants.” I liked it very much. I knew that I had not seen it in person before, but I realized that I had seen an image of it previously. It must have been half an hour before it came to me: “Hey, there is a poster of it hanging in Connie & Dan’s apartment!”
Connie Rossini
The good old MIA. I miss it. I love the exotic feel of Gerome’s painting and the bright colors. I need to get a new frame, so I can hang it again.