An antidote to information overload

While news reports from Ukraine grow more dis­turb­ing by the day, I find myself increas­ing­ly seek­ing solace and refuge in beauty.

I take a lot of pic­tures of plants and once in a while get one I real­ly like. This March 2020 daf­fodil por­trait was tak­en in nat­ur­al light on my kitchen counter with my recent­ly retired Apple iPhone 5.

I came across this image while scrolling through my 8,000-plus pho­tos dur­ing Sunday’s “Face the Nation” com­mer­cial break. The soft col­ors and del­i­cate play of light and shad­ow caught my atten­tion and held it — a stark and sooth­ing con­trast to the war-torn images on my big screen.

For some­one who hasn’t had cable tele­vi­sion since 1999, I watch a lot of TV. The inner life of a news junkie can be intense, and yes, I know I can always turn off the idiot box. I do that, at times, but as we enter year three of the pan­dem­ic and the war on Ukraine is rag­ing, my incli­na­tion is to stay informed and bear witness.

I offer this image as an anti­dote, a reminder that in times of trou­ble, seek­ing solace in beau­ty is an effec­tive way to main­tain bal­ance and per­spec­tive. Turning off the news is always an option, but for some of us, that’s eas­i­er said than done.