60 Days of Beauty: Day 1: Warmth

Bloomington is currently sleeping under a blanket of snow.  This means insulated boots, snowball fights, (snowball shaped welts) and lots of general mirth and merriment.  Yesterday, my friend had a birthday hike out at Griffy Lake where an eclectic troop of college kids traipsed through the snowy woods in search of the elusive pavilion that promised a well-deserved break--complete with cake balls, hot tea and cucumber sandwiches.  We finally made it to our destination and were very thankful for the tasty vittles, but when all was said an done, we were all still pretty glad to be headed back to the cars and out of the bitter cold.  Several people didn't have gloves or hats and most had less than adequate footwear.  Perhaps it was my imagination, but I swear I heard murmurs of frostbite as we re-entered the parking lot after the hike.  In long and short, it was cold; we were cold.
After everyone had the chance to go home and thaw out, a lot of the group made their way through the snow over to the Hinkle Place (my apartment) for some good old study and conversation.  As the couches and living room floor filled with people, the apartment filled with warmth.  The cold seemed to melt away due to the glow of joy radiating from a bubbling melody of laughter, Nat King Cole Christmas and the steady beat of fingers tap tap tapping on the keys of overly-priced laptops.
Isn't it beautiful when a whole room can be filled with such different kinds of people, but the mere fact that they are all human connects them and makes something special?  There is such an energy created just by being around other people and accepting and loving them for their differences; it quite literally can warm you from the inside out.
And, that is something beautiful.

"The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.”
-Oscar Wilde