Beauty and the ear of the beholder

What is beautiful?  Can we assign it any one, solitary definition?  Whoever said beauty is in the eye of the beholder was really on to something.  Oddly enough from time to time, I find myself taking pause at certain sounds that I personally find absolutely beautiful.  These are my top five favorite sounds. 

5.  Laughter - Genuine, joyous laughter.  It's the stuff that I find I can't help but laugh along with.  The baby giggling in the check-out line at Target.  My angel Grandpa's deep belly laugh.  The room on family game night when someone gets creative with the apples to apples cards (e.g. Hiroshima for loud, Helen Keller for touch-feely... I know, we're horrible people...).

4.  Fire in a wood stove - If I close my eyes and imagine the sound of the fire crackling and popping in the wood stove at the family fort, I almost feel as if I'm there surrounded by my family watching a movie.  The sound makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

3.  An empty church - The time or two I've had the opportunity to sit in the empty, dark sanctuary of my church I've found myself in complete awe of the sound: silence.  Silence is beautiful anywhere, I suppose, but I think there's something about silence in the sanctuary of a house of God that is absolutely captivating.

2.  A cat's purr - I'm going to be more specific and say my cat's purr.  Chelsea is a cranky old coot that I've had for fifteen years this May.  She's a broad boned, part Mane Coon with gorgeous blue eyes, massive paws, and a sassy disposition.  She is the queen and all creation bows before her.  Or else.  I love her, teeth and all, to pieces.  The sound of her purr is particularly beautiful to me as it is not only rare, it's a deeper, more gravely sound than my other cat who pretty much purrs 24/7.  Chel isn't all barbs, she has a soft side.  Somewhere.  It comes out when she's curled up on the foot of my bed, basking in the warmth of the heater.  That's when she'll start purring.  And I could listen to it all night.

1.  Rain - I have always adored the sound of rain on my window in the mornings.  Even without throwing back the curtains, I love to lay in bed and listen to the rain.  If I'm feeling particularly energetic I might hop out of bed to crack the window and hear the rain more audibly.  Divine.

So there you have it.  Happy weekend!

RF