I have been mulling over this phrase today. Although it was originally inspired by The Rule of Four, the phrase and its train of thought have taken on a life of their own, entirely independent of the book and its plot. We often talk of beauty decaying, and we may see the cycle of beauty and decay, but I doubt many think of decay as a natural and necessary process for beauty to occur. Yet, decay is often a required predecessor to beauty. A seed coat must decay in order to release the germinated seed within. Detritus matter decays and gives nutrition to breathtaking fungi. In our own hearts, pride and self-reliance must decay to release the ever volatile vulnerability which allows for the exposure of the radiant soul.

The process of decay can be subtle and painless, or it may occur violently in a heart wrenching manner as the remains of the fallen log collapses upon itself. In either case, the journey of decay may in fact be just as beautiful as the end result. This is because somewhere in the rotting substance new life is springing forth, hope, which must be loved and nurtured into an exquisite existence.