There is a hall I travel frequently that has a display case stuffed with birds. Owls, wrens, sparrows and chickadees are poised in mid flight. It is the closest I have ever gotten to most of those magnificent creatures. They are not skittish, so I can look as long as I please without frightening them. Proximity enables me to notice the markings of a jay, and the plumage of a cardinal. I might never be able to learn how to recognize a Baltimore oriole if my only chance to spy one is a hopping specimen on a branch thirty feet up.

 

There is a magazine I read as a little girl called Highlights. My mom plopped it in front of me so I would read the stories and find the hidden pictures. One of the regular features I remember well is Goofus and Gallant. It had two brothers faced with the same situation. Goofus was self serving and rude. Gallant was invariably kind. The simple examples were etched on my memory as the markings of good character.

 

One of the goals of our marriage programs is to give people a chance to see beautiful relationships close up. Last week in a group setting, I watched a wife soften as her husband spoke about their son. He had been struggling in college, and they thought he needed a leg up. His dad took a personal day off of work and showed up at the dorm to take him out for dinner, and meet his friends. She smiled while he described their time together. 

 

Maybe someday I will write a book of these images. I could call it Field Guide to Beautiful Marriages. 

Perhaps it would help people recognize the loveliness perched across the room. 

Photo by Joy Feerrar

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