We need beauty like we need food and shelter. Being in the presence of beauty fills a deep need we all have to experience the transcendent in the ordinary, to know that the world is shaped, ordered and sustained by a power beyond ourselves. When we’re in the presence of great beauty—a landscape, a lover, an infant, a work of art—we feel instantly transported into another, higher realm.
Yet, for busy people, beauty is often the first thing to go. We “don’t have time” to take a walk and notice how already in mid-September the green creation is tinged with yellow and a faint straw color. We think it’s more important to watch another reel on our smartphone than it is, at end of day, to open a book of poems, or cue up a thrilling piece of music, or meditate for a few fleeting moments on nothing but the glory of this present moment. And when we neglect beauty we suffer for it, just as if we had decided we did not have time to eat or sleep.
Beauty is what we offer at Copper House. As soon as guests arrive, they invariably stand for a moment and just take in the sights, smells and sounds of the forest all around. The verdant natural splendor exerts a powerful force on our minds and hearts. It seems to assure us that the world is not just the crazy, pell mell place it seems to be in the office or when racing our kids to school; there is a quiet place at the center. We just have to go there, be still for a time, and rest in it.
You may have a beauty deficit. The group or team you work with may have a beauty deficit. We invite you to spend a few hours, a few days at Copper House. Our lives, our relationships, our vocations, our work, all go better with beauty.
David Anderson
Program Director
Laurel Anastasio