Go In Beauty

Navajo Ceremonial Basket
[Source]

Some many years ago I came upon the novels of Tony Hillerman.* I was less struck by the stories, which were wonderfully plotted and written, as I was by the encompassing ambiance. These many years later I can only recall what was the underlying mantra of that world: Go in Beauty.

There are variations on the poem/blessing. Here are two: 

Walk in Beauty

I walking in beauty before me
I walking in beauty behind me
I walking in beauty from the bottom of my feet
on this Mother Earth to the top of my head
all the way up to the heavens and the universe
All around me I walking in beauty
Therefore I exist in beauty
All is beautiful again
All is beautiful again
All is beautiful again
All is beautiful again

[Source]

Walking In Beauty (Blessing)

Today I will walk out, today everything unnecessary will leave me,
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever,
nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
My words will be beautiful.  

[Source]

Earlier this year my Beloved Spousal Unit and I had to move, unexpectedly and within a short time frame. We decided to look for house instead of continuing to rent. After a stressful 2.5 weeks, when we looked at many houses and found the market was decidedly a sellers' market, we found a small 1925-era bungalow we could just afford. 

It had been entirely rehabbed which means we aging types would only need to keep it up rather than do the rehabbing ourselves.  As we frantically downsized, we decided to take advantage of this new opportunity to reshape our daily lives a bit.

Maple in autumn, from my new office window.

We had, packed away, wedding gifts from long ago, artworks we had no place to display, colorful, beautiful things that we loved but rarely used. The phrase go in beauty came to my mind. And the notion that now is all we have.

So we will look to do, be, and walk in beauty.
We will use the beautiful things we have, were given, and have made. 

 We planted an herb garden.

We have made welcoming spaces.

 

 We have welcomed people in and shared food we have all made,

served on our "good" china and our everyday ware.

 

 We've entertained passers-by.

We miss our last home. . .

But we're settling in and it is becoming familiar once again.

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* For more information on Mr. Hillerman and his writing, see The Tony Hillerman Portal, An interactive guide to the author's life and work. A project of the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico Libraries.