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 Quince Time 

Three Queens
 
One of the most beautiful fruits of all, is the Quince. She is the Queen of Imperfection & Beauty all wrapped in the same package. This time of year, I contemplate Quince. Beauty requires a small amount of imperfection. Combined with the radiance of inner essence, it starts exuding the air of vulnerability, invisible. In this field of beauty and imperfection, the ingredient of vulnerability entices us into a clear state of mind. Freedom from preconceived ideas of perfect, sterile, steely beauty, we start to grasp the secret of what makes life, things and people beautiful. I practice these reflections daily as an important exercise to counter our contemporary insensitivity to true beauty, which touches us deeply. Moves and nourishes us, kicks us out of lazy preconceptions. So quickly we say “beautiful,” but do we really feel it, taste it? Does it really take our breath?


For example, pears and bitter melons have the same power of deepening my breath with their mysteries. Certain art, music, people, nature, or moments in life, too. Since I am young, I have almost never found the prescribed beauty in pop culture, advertisement or mass entertainment appealing or interesting. I would feel the clash between my own sense of beauty and that of most others somewhat disturbing. And up to this day, I take to voicing loudly what my preferences are. What lights my spirit. Even to just counter the dulling blandness of commercial ideas of perfection. And why are we told what is supposed to be beautiful, why do we consent to it? And thus, give up our own deep sense of what is nourishing, rich, complex, breath-stopping? Why do we strive for perfection when it is missing the most important ingredient of vulnerability? Is perfection a secret and mistaken longing for beauty?

To me, the mystery of beauty is the mystery of life, terrifying, and fleeting, and essential.
 

To my students I always exclaim: “Perfection is so boring, let it go! Find the beauty in whatever you do or are today. Let it make you feel vulnerable, let it make you radiate with your own unique essence and truth.” For this, we have to be vigilant, curious and courageous, to counter the cultural sickness of conformity. Babies and children don’t try to be beautiful or perfect, they just are. Thus, they charm us and move our hearts closer to the origins, life always precious. In my experience, the dying in their utter vulnerability, are also emanating otherworldly beauty, a transparent light – awe and wonder abound. And of course, the very old are gems.
 
This year my harvest consists of three big queens. Having given up scanning the tree daily for still existing or absent fruit – most vanish overnight, eaten by invisible “monsters” – works to my benefit. One morning, spotting a certain “gold” hiding in the dark green foliage lifts my spirit so high that i decide to test my fate and wait till they are really ripe. Taking them off the tree today, I feel rich. Lucky me, quince compote will soon make me eat breakfast like a queen.

Three Beauty Queens with ceramic bead necklace by my late mother.
Imperfect and vulnerable, an ancient beauty is shining forth,
reminding us of gestation and eternal transformation…
 
 
Quince Bread
 
Quince Blossoms
 
Quince Thieves


Comments

  1. Alex KSeptember 9, 2024 at 8:30 PM

    There is much to think about in what you write about beauty and vulnerability. I have been confused and ambivalent about my experiences of being vulnerable. Many times confusing fear with vulnerability and getting stuck and not allowing the actual vulnerability to emerge. I love what you've written, it leaves me with a sense of not knowing and more room to see beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KenSeptember 15, 2024 at 4:17 PM

    Thank you for "loudly voicing" your preferences, and by word and example helping those around you shake their preconceived notions and appreciate the true beauty of life.

    ReplyDelete

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