Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Beauty


Beauty persists over time; it metamorphoses with age rather than fades. Youthful beauty is a given. But to retain beauty over time requires restrained elegance. The sepia tinged leaf cannot destroy the glorious perfume of the gardenia. Flowering bushes from an age passed crowd my gardens: gardenia, daphne, lavender, orange jasmine ... the jostled memory lingers.

6 comments:

Joan Elizabeth said...

Oh a love fragrant flowers like the gardenia. There is one old specimin in my garden but it has been crowded out by growing trees so doesn't get enough sun to give me even one flower any more.

Restrained elegance while aging ... I hope I can muster up some of that.

Julie said...

A friend turned 60 on Saturday. Another friend turned 60 last Wednesday, the day after returning home from bowel surgery. A friend at work was 60 yesterday.

It is a most liberating age to be. The relief and freedom is almost palpable.

Joan Elizabeth said...

I will get to the other blogs later (supposed to be working right now) but just wanted to drop you a note and wish you a great trip on the weekend in case you nip off early today. The weather is looking rather dull but that can be good for photography. I am so looking forward to the weekend myself to have a break away from my desk.

freefalling said...

Oh - isn't that glorious?!
I've never grown a gardenia.
I wonder if one would survive the chill here?

"Beauty persists over time; it metamorphoses with age rather than fades"
I've been thinking about that lately.
How come pretty men don't look too good as they get older?
You know.....the thing that made them sooooo beautiful just seems to disappear.
Tony Curtis used to be sooo pretty - then ...ewwww.

Julie said...

That is interesting, isn't it?

I make a firm distinction between something that is pretty and something which has beauty. Prettiness is on the outside: it is in the appearance of something or someone. Beauty is on the inside: it is the true essence, character if you will.

Outside appearances fade with time because of the effect of external forces and internal quirks. Inside appearances (?) what I define as beauty, deepens with time BUT only if it is there to begin with and only if the internal quirks dont mitigate against it.

This could almost be a post on Plumbing ... shall cogitate on't.

Kate said...

The odor of gardenias is part of their charm. I like the sheen on the green leaves.