A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

I’m stealing words again. This time it’s a line from a John Keats poem. Yesterday I deleted something from my bucket list. Falling Water. The iconic Frank Lloyd Wright architectural masterpiece, built for the wealthy Kaufman family of Pittsburgh. I had high expectations going into this. My expectations were far exceeded.

I’m not an expert on architecture, nor Wright, nor Falling Water. But I was struck by one particular aspect of this home, that I think applies to all of our everyday lives. The home is beautiful inside and out. It is built over Bear Run, a creek that flows through Pennsylvania’s gorgeous Laurel Highlands. The home is deep in the woods and is built with nature in mind, for materials and for aesthetics. The home is built over a waterfall, hence the name Falling Water. But, you cannot see the waterfall from anywhere inside the three-story home. Wright knew that if you see something every day, you could easily lose your appreciation for it. He wanted the Kaufman’s to go outside. He wanted this thing of beauty to awaken the senses at every look.

How many things in our own lives do we not appreciate because they are just a part of our lives? I’m reminded of something my late brother, Gary, said once as we traveled through Lehigh Gap. “We, living in the Lehigh Valley, don’t appreciate how beautiful it is here.” The fog lifting off the mountains of the gap. The rolling farmlands of New Tripoli. The confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers. The steep hills of Trexler Nature Preserve. The beautiful parts of our cities. The classic skyscraper, the PPL Building. The old buildings of Moravian College. Of course, I could go on.

Even in our own homes, we forget the beauty that surrounds us. When is the last time you really looked at the art on your walls? Or watched the sunrise from your kitchen window? Or really looked at your home as you drive into your driveway? Or admired the landscaping that you chose?

Yes, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. But we are not here forever. To be alive at the same time that Falling Water exists, and to be able to tour it. That is a joy. But seeing the beauty that surrounds you right now is a joy as well. Our time here is so short, a little appreciation can go a long way to making that short life joyous.