We were watching a little fellow who's almost five as he helped first his dad, then a next-door neighbor, and finally us as we shoveled out from a new snowfall. I wish you could have seen this fellow—his face truly was angelic. In such moments one can see that beauty is a spiritual quality.
Beauty can be reflected in a Monet landscape, in a concerto by Mozart, or in an act of unself-conscious kindness and generosity—whether by a child or an adult.
One of the sweetest experiences is a child's unworldly, guileless innocence. Such innocence gives freely and is ready for natural kindness and friendship in return. Those who are trusted with a child's care, of course, go to great lengths to shelter the young from harm and from the world's harshness. Even in appalling conditions of poverty I have seen this same quality in children, and it is truly beautiful.
