OT: The most beautiful thing you've ever seen??

[PvK]

Various landscapes and skies in particular moments, and the impression of someone's spirit through their face when in love with them.

PvK

[Nodachi]

The sight of my son in my arms for the first time.

[David E. Gervais]

Very Memorable in my mind,..

1) At 14 seeing the true beauty of a clear night sky filled with a blanket of stars so thick it was difficult to pic out the major constelations. (This happened on Prince Edward Island. when we went to visit my aunts)

2) At 17 seeing Star Wars and being blown away. Who needs a special edition when I have clear memories of the original. (which I saw 14 times)

3) Being a part of this wonderfull community and doing some of my best work on SE5.

This is the short list, Cheers!

[Caduceus]

My infant daughter smiling and recognizing me for the first time. If you can add sound, her first giggles when I tickle her.

[Slynky]

Well, here is Mr. Verbose, himself. And, at my age, it's very hard to pick out the most memerable scene so, I present several (starting, since it's near Christmas, with a story I placed on my website:

One night, while laying in bed together, my wife and I talked about Christmas. With a sense of sadness, I tried to explain how Christmas had changed so much for me. Hustle/bustle and commercialism override all the feelings I had of Christmas as a child. I declined to make an attempt that night as we lay there in each others arms, but now as "Little Drummer Boy", my favorite Christmas song, fills our bedroom with its message, I feel like trying to put into words the magic that was once Christmas for me. And for those who may be curious enough to read this, I hope you are not bored by my failure to transfer my memories to words.

I grew up in a small town nestled in the lazy foothills of western North Carolina, the oldest son of a single parent, my mother. A younger sister completed the family picture and was just about all that my poor mother could afford to raise. We were so poor that in the middle of winter, I often sought comfort between the old central oil heater that provided our only source of warmth and its adjoining wall. Mom kept it turned down low to save money. That's just a tiny sample of how poor we were. So, you can understand, perhaps, that there was not much money to be spent for frivolous things, Christmas included. After all, patches were needed for the holes in my jeans and of course, food, and other things as well. I remember being envious of my other friends at school but, even at that age, I tried to understand my mother hadn't the means to give us as much as she wanted to. And maybe it was a gift that I had to learn to enjoy Christmas in other ways. These vignettes are the strongest of my memories:

The Waldensian Presbyterian church in the middle of our town always displayed an incredible manger scene at the front of the church that faced our main street. Flood lights and the old church, built in 1903, provided the perfect setting. The plywood figures were bigger than life, or so it seemed. And the stable was as real as I have ever seen, having a full roof and a manger filled with straw. I remember still, walking around the figures late in the evening, by myself, the only intrusion being the noise of the cars that slowly made their way through town. Being alone among those stiff wooden figures made me remember that I shouldn't be sad at my poor life. I went there often. And only at night. And, if it snowed, the magic, somehow, was completed.

The small-town window displays were as magical to me as any of those found in Macys or Harrods. I used to press my gloveless fingers against the cold glass and peer inside till my breath fogged the vision. And then I'd move on to the next window to dream some more. I had no need to worry about the periodic scrunch of footsteps in the snow behind me as strangers made their way about our friendly town. After checking all the windows for new visions, I slowly made my way home in the dark.

The town, for some wonderful reason, was filled with evergreens made for Christmas. Branches curved and arching toward the ground were the perfect Christmas accessory. Laden with snow as can only be found in greeting cards, the lower branches rested on the ground. Add to this image the sound of snow falling in the quiet night air and you have a recipe for a peacefulness that seemed the perfect illustration for Christmas.

I spent many of the days that led to Christmas alone. My friends were busy with their families and my family--my mother--was working overtime to help make extra money. And I may have been sad in those long-ago-days, taking pleasure in whatever way that came free of charge, but now, remembering, I long for those days and the memories that I shall never experience again.

Oh...and Christmas day? When I looked under the modestly-decorated Christmas tree that had found its way from a forgotten patch of woods to our house, very early in the morning as all children do, I was never disappointed. In fact, each year seemed to outdo the previous and I was always surprised at how my mother had managed to do it. Maybe there really was a Santa Claus

And, in no particular order:

[*]First time I saw the Grand Canyon[*]Flying over the Alps as the sun rose[*]The many times my daughter comes up to me crying and tells me she's sorry for what she did after I punished her[*]The first "night" I spent with my wife[*]Schloss Neuswanstein in germany[*]Venice (the city with a photograph waiting around each turn)[*]Hong Kong (and Kowloon) , London, Tokyo, Paris, Munich, and Berlin (before the wall came down)

[bearclaw]

The first time I saw my daughter after she was born. I had always heard that the world looks different after you've had kids, and now I know what they mean. Once she was born I started watching for "What could hurt her".

The same thing happened again 3 years later when my son was born except this time I looked around and thought "What could he hurt himself on?"

Other things that will never be forgotten are:
Star Wars for the first time at age 4.
The Acropolis in Athens also at age 4.

Incidently, the first time I watched Star Wars with my daughter when she was old enough to watch a movie that wasn't a cartoon. I could see the wonder and amazement in her face that I can still remember myself having. She'll be 4 when EpIII comes out so we will see that together. Fitting that I saw the first one at age 4 and she'll get to see the Last one at age 4.

[Starhawk]

Most beautiful things I've ever seen.

The early morning myst on the Monday morning I got out of the hospital after my heart surgery, I was just so greatful to have my life back that that normally ugly day was just soo beautiful to me.
The sunrise the following day

Two girls actually make my list even though the one was just a friend and the most recent (and current) one is not quite on the most personal of terms with me for about a year now.

The first girl was physically the most beautiful I've ever seen in my life, she had a good heart to match it and was suprisingly sweet for someone with her looks. Unfortunately she had a boyfriend.

The second girl was starting to become a closer friend and I asked her out on a date, well she said yes and we were both excited and happy (happy was an understatement for me as I never thought I would have had a chance in hell) but two days later without us ever going on a date she had to say no because she is one of my kung fu instructors (though she is actually seven months younger then I) and since then we havn't really talked though I wish we could because she is great.
The reasons I find her "beautiful" have more to do with her personality then her looks (though she is VERY attractive), she is smart, funny, tough, calm-not a ditzy airhead like some other girls my age I've met- athletic-nother understatement- patient and understanding (she actually teaches the little kids a lot and I don't see how she can as the buggers drive me bonkers). And of course she is very sexy and lovely physically.

Well those are my three hehe like I said both of those girls will be with me forever in my heart as they were both friends (and hopefully the second girl and I can fix that ackwardness and start talking again) so I hope you don't think it's lame me listing two girls who weren't girlfriends lol.

But you'd be suprised how wonderful an ugly grey wet day will look when it's the first day of your new life.

[dmm]

1) My wife, on our first date, at our wedding, and this morning 20 years later.
2) My children, esp. at birth and while sleeping.
3) Delaware Water Gap. We'd been hiking for hours through light rain when we came around the bend and saw the Gap, in late morning, shrouded in mist.
4) Judy Garland as Dorothy (esp. singing "Over the Rainbow"), Carrie Fisher in Star Wars (esp. giving her message to R2D2), LOTR movies (esp. Arwen).

[rdouglass]

Not necessarily in order...

1. Otter Cliffs at Acadia National Park - (the pictures still don't do it justice) http://www.acadiamagic.com/OtterCliff.html

2. Luke looking at the 2 moons over the deserts of Tantoine (just such a cool shot on the big screen!)

3. The smiles on my only child when I come home from work.

My wife doesn't read these forums, but she's always beautiful anyways.

[Slynky]

Wife and I have always wanted to travel in the direction of Acadia NP. VT in the fall with all those white birch trees and Maine for its wonderful coast and fishing villages. A photographer's dream.