i03 Reflection

By Amanda Young
Her ability to scope out her grandkids’ favorite snacks translates
easily into more than just a gift of giving food. It is woven into the
details of handwritten cards and anecdotes from simpler times. It is
found in the way she remembers those that have passed, and the
way she continues sharing their legacy to make us all relive their stories
time and time again.
This ability to see a moment in its details
is the kind of beauty I admire.
There is something so beautiful about pushing pause on the life
reel to remember a detailed moment from yesterday. It does not abide
by the fast-paced algorithm characteristic of the information-flooded
society we live in. But it is the type of beauty that is often only seen in
hindsight. Missing it can lead to bittersweet memories, but seeing it
leads to an enriched view on life.
My grandma holds so much beauty in the posture she takes
towards loving others. When she remembered the way my face lit up
after eating an Okinawan sweet potato manju, I found a casing with
three perfectly untouched manjus waiting for me every time I went
over afterwards. When I sent her a blog post, she would respond back
by email with words laced in love and carefully chosen praise.
If the world associated beauty with this type
of posture, I could only imagine the type of
relationships we would be able to reconcile.
Details are sometimes deemed unnecessary. They clog our writing,
our speeches, our PowerPoints. We are always told to keep things
brief and to the point. There is a time and a space for brevity and
simple memos. But what about those that write flowery things not for
the sake of filling space but for the sake of sharing a single moment’s
emotion? We lose a fuller story of unseen beauty when we cut the
“unnecessary details.” Beauty is more than just a physical icon or an
awe-struck moment; it is the stepping off the mindless train of distraction
to love with careful attention to the details.