A man named J. Paul Getty assembled an impressive collection of art and artifacts. In 1954, he opened his Malibu home three afternoons a week as a museum. Because he wanted to share the beauty. And then in 1968, Getty recreated a first-century Roman villa on his property to display his growing collection of art. And now the Getty Museum has expanded to two locations with the Villa housing Getty’s Greek and Roman antiquities.

One of the things I appreciated about the Getty Villa was how the exhibits flowed between indoor and outdoor spaces. In some cases, instead of moving from room to room, one must exit one room into the inner courtyard before entering the next room. How lovely is that, says the outdoor girl.

 

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Walking back down to the parking structure afterward, I snapped a couple shots that highlight the Pacific Ocean in the near distance.

 

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A work of art right here in this cobblestone driveway with the Pacific glittering on the horizon.

 

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I was thinking about Mr. Getty’s collection of beauty and his vision in wanting to share it. And I was thinking about something I wrote in my journal recently in reference to the cancer journey and our desire to share the beauty and joy collected along the way.

The journal entry began with a quote from a book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series:

She looked at him fondly. That he had been sent to her, when there were so many other, lesser men who might have been sent, was a source of constant gratitude. That we have the people we have in our life, rather than others, is miraculous, she thought; a miraculous gift.

And then these words from my heart to God’s: If this hard wilderness journey was necessary—and it was—then I’m so glad this man was the one you chose for me. Thank you for sending us to wilderness school. Together. I would rather have gone through hard things with Gary than to have had a life without trials with any other man. Thank you for the wilderness route. This hard, joyful, learning-deeper-gratitude gift of a journey.

In her book, One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp writes:

It is the art of gratitude that makes joy possible.

I wonder if it’s gratitude that produces a desire to share. Because isn’t it gratitude that causes us to realize all we have? Our collections of beauty. Our blessings. Our wisdom. Whatever we have that’s of value.

Is gratitude what spurred Getty? Because it’s certainly what spurs me to share our love story. Hubby’s and mine. And then, is it the sharing that not only gives joy to others, but to us, as well?

I’m thinking yes.