A few weeks ago Tim and I had the opportunity to join the lovely Modern Miss Mason on her podcast. Welcome to those of you who have stumbled upon this newsletter from there! I’m so happy you’re here in this space!
If you listened to the podcast, “Beauty Is My Job”, you discovered that our second pixie has a tinkering for lovely things. When she was three years old, Brielle informed me, “Beauty is my job.” Bri never saw a flower she didn’t pick or a sunset she didn't gush over.
One day while practicing her piano, Brielle informed me she was writing a song.
“Do you want to know the title, mom?”
“Sure,” I said.
“Beauty Lies Ahead.”
She was 7.
Inherent within her soul is this longing for beauty. I don’t ever want to squash that.
But still I feel the tension in a world that clamors for beauty in ways contrary to truth. We are living in a culture where beauty is often misunderstood. When I speak of beauty, I am talking about a broad sense of beauty that John Ruskin refers to as true wealth. "The real appreciative possession of what is good."
I am raising three pixies, bringing up a generation of girls that I pray have a heart for beauty. I want them to recognize wonder, to laugh in amazement when a butterfly lands on a mountain bike tire. I want them to rejoice when the sun sets again, the same routine way it does every single night.
Here are five simple ways that Tim and I are trying to teach the pixies what beauty truly is (and how it can be Bri's job :).
1) Set Up Stations Within the House for Art
A few years ago, Tim began watercoloring with the pixies and it is now one of their favorite things to do together. Initially, we had a paint station set up in Tim's office. However, once we moved, we created a new nook to inspire painting in the corner of our living room. Paints, canvases, and a nine foot easel decorate the space.
Stations can be set up anywhere. A family room, dining room, or bedroom are all conducive to creating. In one of my favorite books, The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer writes,
"Children growing up in an atmosphere where beauty is considered an important part of daily life cannot help being inspired to develop their own original ideas...nor can they help being prepared to live aesthetically themselves."
You don't have to be the most talented artist. It's the expression of the painting that causes wonder both in your life and in those around you. Conversations are generated around the canvas, or whatever medium you choose to use.
2) Flood the House With Music
The other day when I pulled into our Classical Conversations community, a friend of mine came over and said to me, “I heard you pulling into the parking lot before I saw you. Whenever I think of the Willards, I picture them jamming to music.” I took this as a huge compliment.
I met my husband when he was in a band touring the country playing and writing music. The lyrics he wrote and the passion with which he sang, touched my heart in a way like none other. So much so I ended up marrying him. Music imprints on our souls in a unique fashion.
Our girls grew up jamming to Lacey Sturm. Today, when she comes to visit, there’s a dance party soon to ensue with her and the pixies. I love this. I want them to experience music in all its forms. Her latest song, Awaken Love, has been on repeat in our house.
Tim also plays classical music during their art sessions. Bach and Beethoven blare from the study doors. Few things declare beauty like music.
3) Venture Outside
One of the main reasons we bought our house is because it connects to a greenway. We love it because we can walk or go for a bike ride on the path. There's nothing like walking outside and breathing in the fresh air to awaken one's soul. I find myself counting down the hours until I can hit the path for my daily stroll.
When we lived in Oxford, our favorite thing was to walk the public footpaths. You notice things you never would otherwise: the blackberries delicately growing on the bush, the cattle on the hillside contendely laying down, the sound of the birds perching on the trees.
The girls spend countless hours in the woods, building forts, looking for snakes (yes, they actually find this enjoyable), hanging out in their hammocks. Nature awakens one to beauty. It points to the Creator behind it all and welcomes one to participate in the creative process.
4) Read Aloud Men and Women of Faith Hero Stories
Last year we read the Christian Heroes: Then & Now book on Amy Carmichael. My middle pixie was so inspired by her life she decided to choose her to be her Faces of History character for CC.
I remember reading Elisabeth Elliot's biography on Amy Carmichael when I was in college, A Chance to Die. It had such a profound impact on my life. It inspired me to personally live a more purposeful life.
Reading inspiring stories of men and women of faith who possess lovely legacies open up young hearts to beauty and truth. They learn to value what is worth fighting for and treasure what is true wealth.
5) Buy Beautiful Literature
When we lived in Oxford, we were surrounded by old bookstores. There was no end to the beautiful literature that could be found upon the shelves. We began collecting first editions of some of our favorites and those books made their way back with us across the Atlantic.
You would think that having two bookworm parents would naturally produce bookworm pixies. But truth be told, my girls' reading ebbs and flows. Sometimes my oldest can’t put a book down. Other times, it’s hard to keep her still enough to get into a really good book. I don’t panic about this. I realize that there are rhythms to our life, and some rhythms provide more time for reading.
The key is to have the books available, laying out on display, easy to reach for. A dear friend recently bought Tim a gorgeous antique book. It’s sitting on our coffee table. It simply contains vintage paintings, but I often find the girls kneeling at the table scrolling through the various pages. They are learning to love what they ought, what is beautiful and lovely.
In one of my favorite books, The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis wisely concluded,
“We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words — to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.”
I want my pixies to bathe in beauty, to become part of it.
Cultivating a hunger for those things that are good...true, lovely, admirable, is one of our greatest responsibilities. We can teach the next generation about true wealth...the appreciative expression of what is good. No matter how faint a glimpse of beauty the impression leaves a sizable impact on young souls. Let’s unite our children with the beauty we see.