Eve Ingram- The Surprising Event of Beauty

 One of the first times in my life that I vividly experienced beauty, I was in an unexpected place. My great-grandmother's funeral was held in the winter when I was nine years old. It was not the first time that I had lost a family member, but it was the first time that was old enough to understand what was happening. I had never been to a funeral. That day we took a walk, let balloons go into the air with notes for my namesake, shared funny stories, and created a book of all her quotes. It was the most gorgeous day that I had ever seen. 

    Although it was wintertime, the cold was not noticeable, which was odd since could not handle nor appreciate cold weather at that age. The sun was shining brightly, and I distinctly remember seeing bright green foliage on bushes and trees, again, odd for the winter. There were enough clouds in the sky to frame the sun, but not enough to cover its rays. I had only seen funerals on TV, where the solemn emotion is intensified with rain, wind, fog, and a cloudy day. For some reason I expected the funeral to be like that, but it wasn't. Sometimes I think my brain has construed my memory since I was little, but I know what I saw. 

    I remember feeling odd and ashamed that I was focusing on the beauty around me instead of mourning the person that I had just lost. But as an adult, I know that those two emotions do not have to be separate. I look back on that day with fondness and a sense of peace. Sorrow was incorporated into that day too but does not come to the forefront of my mind when I think about that day. All I think about is beauty.