With all the negativity in the world, it’s sometimes easy for me to forget the startling beauty that exists. Take this morning, for instance.

It was a wonderful one where I was able to wake up and hug my son, have morning conversation and coffee with my wife, and consider the possibility in the day ahead of me.

But then I made the mistake of listening to the news while I ran to the grocery store.

The conversation centering around the election and the anger it has brought found its way into my heart. I arrived at the store in a seriously foul mood and instead of focusing on possibility, I found myself mired in negativity.

But then I got out of the car and I looked up. This is what I saw:

I stood there and watched. I listened to their sounds.

They filled me with a joy that’s always difficult to describe. The few people out at that hour were walking and driving past me, seemingly oblivious to what was above them. Maybe they didn’t care, or they were too focused to look up.

But I noticed, and I had a choice to make about my day. I chose to smile.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t valid reasons to be deeply concerned about the world. I do realize it’s a type of privilege to be able to easily make this choice.

However, I still think that when we can, when we are able to, even when mired in strife, we should reach for the beauty we can find. Even at the Hy-Vee grocery store parking lot. Even when we stand on well-worn parking lot concrete.

If you’d like more positivity, joy, and creativity that can be found in a community of photographers, I hope you join me at Cameras and Coffee Cups. We are a community of creatives looking for the positives in life – learning and living in a world we all hold dear.

Let’s find some moments of joy together.