Finding light on Gray Days...
Some mornings lately, the sky has felt heavy, boring and bordering on being discouraging if it could talk.
I'm sure you've felt this way too from time to time.
Late winter.
The sky is gray.
The trees are bare. The grass dull. The light muted.
This time of year can feel like a long slog until spring finally arrives.
I noticed lately that when I sit down with my journal and reflect for the little line at the bottom — “Beauty I noticed” — it takes more effort. I struggle to remember anything to write down.
I decided that perhaps this is an invitation to look closer–to see beyond the dull exterior the world seems to be showing.
So on my walk this morning, I gave myself an assignment: look for hidden beauty. Not the obvious kind that I often see when the sun is shining brightly and the birds are singing. The quiet kind.
At first glance out the door, my brain piped up and said, "Yep, another gray day."
But then I spotted the tiniest yellow crocuses pushing up through soil–a tiny splash of color that you could only see when walking near.
A few houses down, I noticed the pretty patterns in the glass windows on the front doors.
Then I walked by a clump of dormant maiden grass, it's dried flowers from the fall, soft and feathery, blowing in the cold breeze.
Leaves dancing across the pavement.
Even the clouds — layers of gray on gray — had subtle hints of color and texture that I’d have missed if I wasn't looking. Surprisingly, that gray sky seemed beautiful to me this morning.
There was nothing breath taking.
Nothing that would make you immediately pause and take in the beauty like a glorious sunrise.
But as I kept noticing and finding the beauty because I was intentionally looking for it, something shifted inside me as well.
My mood lifted just a touch.
And then a bit more.
I wasn't jumping for joy, but it was enough. A little warmth. A little inner glow.
What I’m reminded of (again and again) is this: beauty isn’t absent on gray days or when things aren't going according to plan. It’s still quietly there if we look for it. It take a little more effort to find— curiosity, patience, presence, but the effort is worth the reward.
We don’t need to wait for spring to feel alive. We don't need to just get past this phase, this big project, this health issue, this hurdle.
We can practice seeing beauty now.
If your days have felt a bit flat lately, maybe you'll find time to head out with a little quest of your own. Look for three things you might normally miss. Let your eyes linger. Let yourself soften.
Color is there, despite the gray days.
Sometimes it’s simply waiting for your attention.
With love,
Julie
P.S. If you decide to take your own gray day excursion, let me know what you find. Maybe if I get enough suggestions I could make a downloadable of our finds to help us all as clues for future gray days.
P.P.S. If you’re wondering where I record my daily “Beauty I noticed” moments, my journal always feels like the perfect place to hold them. And the spring journals will be shipping out later next week — just in time for a new season of noticing. 🌿
Other News:
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I’d love to see you there. 💕
I easily find beauty where there seems to be none.
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