I have a lot to say regarding Beauty and how it affects the Consciousness of our World. But rather than write on it and endeavor to go into the Science of the affects of Beauty, I am just going to share beauty with you as I have experienced it this week.

Here is a prescient piece of Music set to remarkable Cinematography. Nahko Bear’s “Aloha Ke Akua”.

People are amazing. In a culture that tends to dry humanity out, Beauty waters us. When we invest in that, what we are doing is improving our lot as a species. Why Beauty: matters.

I got to meet with Lynn Lawrence this week. She handed me a remarkable book entitled “On Beauty and Being Just” by Elaine Scarry. This is her, handing it to me, pictured below.  A beautiful act. Lynn had recently left my friend Brian Kasbar’s company and as she headed down coast thought to ring me so that we could meet in person for the first time after connecting on Brian’s project, which is an innovative system for educating Autistic children. A beautiful endeavor.

I swam and shot a bit this week. On a day that was surreal in it’s blue sanguine embrace I managed to capture some of the essence of that experience. The Ocean  amazes me. It is beautiful in ways that stretch my skill set to communicate.

And I got to speak with my friend and colleague Shawn Alladio, as she made her way back to California. She recounted some of the back story on the Never Quit Challenge. Here is a clip from the Today Show on it.

The image below was shared by Ginny Blevins-Feeks, the surviving spouse of SO1 Pat Feeks who perished a little over a year ago. Shawn is at the 9-11 Memorial at Ground Zero having just lead the NQC up the East Coast from Florida, and landing in NYC on 9-11. The deep significance of taking our people by water back to New York is incredibly profound.

Shawn is placing some rather interesting things on the Memorial. Among those, a Pocket Constitution, coins, patches, and very significantly, two US flags. One which Pat carried with him, and the second which was presented to Ginny by the US Govt. Shawn was presented these flags by Ginny, and carried them with her in much the same manner Pat had.

The Beauty in this Act by Shawn, Brian Lagarticha, David Pirate Tew, Eric Graff, and all my colleagues at K38 Rescue is heady in it’s graciousness. So were the other profound acts of generosity, by  people in all the branches of the Military, Foundations,  Emergency Response and Law Enforcement Agencies involved in the Challenge’s success.

As I studied the image, there was so much significance in what I saw that it really was sort of overwhelming, and I felt my eyes beginning to tear up. I knew how much sacrifice had occurred as symbolized by each item in the frame. Then I saw it. The Blue Marble Donna and I had given Shawn. She had carried that with her to ground zero.

So many of us are connected by water.

Beauty is the bucket that carries it. Water of course, is analogous to Spirit, that life force which flows through all that exists.

This is Hope. She springs eternally from the human heart. (Image is from an editorial project on a woman’s experiences surfing through pregnancy)

Beauty is Life amplified and focused. Without it, hope dies.

My friend and colleague, Wallace J Nichols, is the founder of the Blue Marble Movement, Blue Mind and much more. He ends his notes with the salutation: “I wish you water”.  I like that a lot.

In my life and work, all at it’s core is summed up in my own heart’s desire:

“I wish you Beauty.”

Aloha nui loa.