Museum musings...

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending an amazing day at the Norton Simon museum in Pasadena with some amazing Torrey friends: Gabriel, Emily, Mary Kate, Christian, Jonathan, Rafael, Jessie, and Katie (plus the amazing chauffeur/bringer of sandwiches-Mrs. Nelson).  It had been ages and ages since I had been to an art museum, so I was very excited to be able to spend some time with good friends and beautiful art :)  However, I came away from the museum somewhat disturbed and confused in soul.  Art-paintings, sculptures, alterpieces, and such-is amazingly beautiful (for the most part).  A few paintings in particular caught my eye while I was there...one by Monet of an adorable garden and house, and another 19th century piece of a huge cathedral interior (I don't remember which one :(  But as I looked more and more at the painting of the church in particular, and contemplated how vast and glorious cathedrals are compared to men, I realized something.  This art is so much more beautiful than what we think we encounter on a daily basis...but the people around us are even more beautiful, because they are real.  Monet's paintings of his gardens are some of my favorite in the world, and yet the garden outside my window is even more beautiful, because it is real.  It saddens me sometimes, that it takes a museum for me to see the beauty in those around me.  But perhaps this is the purpose of art...to make us look back to the original that it reflects?  Coming away from the museum, though, I realized that the most beautiful artwork I saw yesterday was not any of the paintings on the wall nor any of the sculptures in the garden, but the friends that I spent the day with.