Look Up: Finding Beauty in the Mess

 

Look Up: Finding Beauty in the Struggle

Anyone who has lived in the northern half of the U.S. knows the struggle of navigating the aftermath of a late-winter snowstorm. You step outside to find the sidewalks blanketed in fresh white powder, only for it to quickly morph into a slushy, brown mess.

Your first thought might be the biting cold—or, if you’re like me, it’s the immediate regret of wearing the wrong shoes.

So, my head drops. I scan the sidewalk, carefully plotting my route. If I go straight here, cut diagonally there, and summon just enough athletic ability to leap over that puddle, I just might make it to my destination with clean shoes.

Before I know it, I’ve arrived. My shoes are spotless, but my neck is sore, and I barely remember the path I took.

It’s not until the weather warms up—when the snow melts and my fear of ruining my shoes disappears—that I finally allow myself to look up.

And every time, it hits me: I had been so focused on avoiding the mess that I missed everything around me. I forgot how beautiful campus is, how lively the sidewalks become between classes, how peaceful the sky looks when I actually take a second to notice it.

The Life Lesson in a Snowstorm

Now, I know I’m a Minnesotan, but I wouldn’t write an entire blog post about snow if I didn’t think it had a deeper meaning—so stick with me.

That moment of realization—of looking up and seeing what I had been missing—made me think about how often we do this in life.

When we’re going through challenges, it’s easy to put our heads down and just push through. We focus on dodging obstacles, on making it to the next moment with as little damage as possible. And while there are certainly times when perseverance is necessary, there’s a risk in always living this way.

Because when our heads are down, all we see are the struggles in front of us. Our entire field of vision is consumed by what we’re trying to avoid, rather than where we’re trying to go.

And sure, eventually, the storm passes. Just like the snow evaporates, our problems fade, and we allow ourselves to look up again.

But here’s the thing: Life doesn’t pause while we’re in survival mode. Even in the toughest seasons, there are moments of beauty, connection, and joy. And if we spend too much time staring at the ground, we’ll miss them.

Our biggest fear shouldn’t be facing obstacles. Our biggest fear should be missing out on life itself—simply because we were too afraid to take a breath and look up.

Embracing the Journey—Slush and All

No journey is smooth. But if we don’t learn to appreciate life along the way, we’ll miss out on so many of its blessings.

So, the next time you find yourself in the middle of a storm—literal or metaphorical—take a moment. Catch a few snowflakes. Acknowledge the struggle, but also recognize the beauty that comes with it. Because every challenge, every detour, and yes, even every ruined pair of shoes, brings something valuable with it.

There’s too much good in life to only acknowledge it when things are easy.

GOOD VIBES ONLYYYY,
Kenzie