Finding Beauty in the Humblest Things

Our dishwasher has been broken for years, so we do our dishes by hand. I spend quite a bit of time at the kitchen sink.

As I'm washing, I think about how the task can either be seen as a never-ending chore, or you can focus on the people who ate off those dishes and the fact that you have food.

This is a painting of my kitchen. I love sitting in this corner where the light comes in. I get to look outside and watch the squirrels running on the power lines. It's kind of a cozy corner, even though you don't normally think of a kitchen sink as cozy.

I think part of being present is being mindful of the tasks we repeat over and over because life requires them. You might as well figure out how to enjoy them.

I hope this art can accompany you at your kitchen sink and help you focus on the present moment. Doing dishes can be very meditative, and it's a great time for reflection.

This took quite a while to paint, and I think painting is another way that I'm present to life.

It's interesting that painting is sort of a repetitive task, just like doing the dishes. But with painting, eventually you have to say it's done. With dishes, you keep having to wash them every day.

Fortunately, if we have dirty dishes, it means we get to eat every day too.

You've probably never seen a holiday card quite like this one, but I hope you love it. Send it to someone with a new house, someone who does dishes for you, or keep it as a little motivation at your own kitchen sink.