Darling Letters: The Beauty of the Ordinary

We are bringing “Darling Letters” from your inbox to the blog! We love the art of letter writing and believe it helps build authentic community. Our editors and contributors have thoughtfully written encouraging letters to cut through the busyness and speak straight to your heart.

I found a coffee ring hidden beneath a stack of books on my end table today. A blurry-edged circle left behind by my mug from this morning or maybe the one before. The simplest of stains, hinting at an unremarkable moment when coffee slipped silently down the cup’s edge and settled on the surface beneath.

The surprise of it made me smile, like I’d found my own footprint in the soils of such a simple morning spent alone. It looked for a moment like the rings of a tree—telling of all the years the tree has survived and the strength of its roots deepening day-by-day in tiny, imperceptible ways. It was just a ring of coffee, but in that moment, I saw the faintest fossil of my beautifully ordinary life. 

It was just a ring of coffee, but in that moment, I saw the faintest fossil of my beautifully ordinary life. 

I want to see everything in this way—to hold up all the familiar, unexceptional pieces of my days and view them in light of such astoundingly simple grace. I want to stop measuring my life by bullet points when all the matter in the middle holds such clear evidence of its beauty.

I want to celebrate the coffee rings of quiet mornings. I want to be grateful for every tiny, imperceptible moment that deepens my roots and strengthens my soul for survival and celebration.

I want to be grateful for every tiny, imperceptible moment that deepens my roots and strengthens my soul for survival and celebration.

Let’s embrace the subtle beauty that saturates the simple things.

With love,

Bailey Price, the Darling family

What’s one ordinary habit or practice you follow during the week? How could you see it with fresh eyes?

Image via Anna Williams, Darling Issue No. 13