Make The World More Beautiful

I used to be a Unitarian. I think I still am at heart. The minister at Neighborhood Church, the Unitarian church here in Pasadena, was Brandy Lovely. You gotta love a guy with a name like that. He was wise and funny and I often cried and laughed at the same time when he spoke on Sunday mornings. On his last Sunday before he sailed off into retirement, he said that he believed the purpose of life is to make the world more beautiful. Immediately I disagreed with that idea. Not out loud, of course, but it just seemed too simple to me. As the years go by (my dentist's nice way of not saying that I'm getting older) I have come to understand the wisdom of that statement. I realize that making the world more beautiful can take many forms. It could be that biggie medical breakthrough that saves lives. Or maybe the flower garden that my up-the-street neighbor toils over constantly. Or any number of things that have probably come to your mind, dear reader. I think it can be as simple as holding a frightened person's hand. In the several days that have passed since my brother's death, I realize that the memories that I treasure about him are the things he did to make the world more beautiful. He created a gorgeous garden. He knew how to prune roses just right. In our family, birds have always been a big deal. His racing pigeons were poetry in the sky as they circled above us, iridescent feathers catching the sun. Once when I parked my car at his house and traveled to Boston with his wife and daughters, he polished my car for me. It looked better than when it was brand spankin' new. He could cook delicious meals. Making the world more beautiful is actually very easy. Each one of us has ways that we specialize in doing it. What are yours?