The days have been dark and dreary. A cold wind nips at the face and penetrates clothes. Although it feels like forever since I last saw the sun, my pictures prove it has only been a week. I scan through, searching for the right one to share. My eyes stop on the one below.

As always, click on the image for fullscreen. Picture taken by Astrid Bryce at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

It’s dark beauty captivates me. The dark is exactly what makes it beautiful. This same shot, lighter, would not be nearly as compelling. Another intriguing aspect of this image is that it was taken from a moving vehicle.

If I had been putzing on my phone, caught up in whatever was playing through the radio, or deep in conversation, I would have missed this moment of beauty. This is one reason why I like to look around while driving. I never know what I’m going to see.

One of my little life mantras, those things I tell myself when the going gets hard, is, “There is beauty. Find it.” It reminds me to get outside myself and my own personal struggles, and to look closely at the world around me, with eyes open to the good, the positive, that life has to offer. Here, I found my beauty, even in the midst of the dark.

I Made Some Shareable Images for You!

Do you like those images with a pithy phrase on them? I tried my hand at making two that went along with this post. The first is the image above. This image is free for you to download and use in any non-commercial way. Get it here or by clicking on the image.

The second shareable image I created is for my mantra, “There is beauty. Find it.” This one is also free for you to download and use in any non-commercial way. Get it here or by clicking on the image.

Brighter Beauty Coming Soon

There may always be beauty, but it is not always dark. In fact, winter in Minnesota often brings bitter cold, but bright and sparkly days. And I got some good pictures. Look for them later this week.

Where Do You Find Your Beauty in the Dark?

While we wait for sunnier times and sunnier pictures, where do you find your beauty in the dark? Have you noticed anything cool or unexpected lately, especially on a day that wasn’t going as you hoped? Share here in the comments.