Well I do find the beauty in animals. I find beauty everywhere. I

The words “Well I do find the beauty in animals. I find beauty everywhere. I find beauty in my garden.” were spoken by Doris Day, the beloved actress, singer, and humanitarian whose gentle heart and luminous spirit made her one of the most cherished figures of her time. But beyond her fame, these words reveal the quiet philosophy that guided her life — a belief in the omnipresence of beauty, and the sacredness of all living things. For Doris Day, beauty was not confined to art, wealth, or perfection; it was something woven through creation, visible to those who chose to see with compassion rather than pride. Her quote is both a confession and an invitation — to open one’s eyes, to look closer, and to rediscover the wonder that surrounds us in every creature, every leaf, and every moment of life.

When Day speaks of finding beauty in animals, she expresses the heart of her lifelong devotion to kindness. She saw in animals the same divine spark that gives humanity its dignity — purity without malice, loyalty without demand, love without condition. To her, the beauty of animals lay not merely in their form, but in their truth. They live honestly, guided by instinct and need, not deceit or ambition. In her later years, Doris Day founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation, dedicating her fortune and fame to the protection of creatures great and small. Her compassion flowed outward from the recognition that all life, when seen through the eyes of empathy, possesses an inherent grace. To find beauty in animals is to see the soul of the world uncorrupted — to honor creation in its simplest and purest form.

Yet she does not stop there. She says, “I find beauty everywhere.” In this, she reveals a mind at peace with the imperfect, a heart trained to seek the sacred even in the ordinary. Many live their lives chasing distant ideals of beauty — the flawless image, the grand achievement, the fleeting pleasure — and in so doing, they overlook the quiet magnificence of what already is. Doris Day’s perspective was different. She understood that to find beauty everywhere is not an act of seeing, but of being — a spiritual discipline rooted in gratitude. It means walking through the world with eyes open to the miracle of existence: the play of sunlight on a wall, the laughter of strangers, the whisper of wind in trees. It is to say, with reverence, “This moment, too, is beautiful.”

When she adds, “I find beauty in my garden,” the image becomes complete. The garden is a living symbol of harmony between human care and divine creation. It is where the soul meets the soil — where patience, nurturing, and love bear visible fruit. In tending her garden, Day tended her spirit. Every petal, every leaf, every creature that visited her flowers became part of her quiet worship. The garden, like the heart, thrives on attention and love. It teaches that beauty is not found in possession, but in participation — in caring for what grows, in healing what withers, and in rejoicing in the cycle of renewal. The garden is the mirror of the soul that knows how to love life in its many forms.

Her words recall the wisdom of Saint Francis of Assisi, the medieval saint who saw God reflected in every bird and beast. Francis called the sun his brother and the moon his sister, speaking to them as equals in creation’s song. Like Doris Day, he recognized that reverence for life begins with seeing — truly seeing — the sacredness in what others call small. His joy was born not from wealth or fame, but from communion with the living world. Both he and Day teach us that to love the world deeply is to love it humbly — not as its master, but as its guardian. Those who find beauty everywhere become protectors of life, not consumers of it.

There is also a quiet defiance in her words — a resistance against cynicism and despair. In a world that so often celebrates cruelty and speed, to stop and find beauty in a garden, in an animal, or in a passing moment is an act of rebellion. It is to say: the world is not lost, not ugly, not meaningless. There is still light, still music, still kindness, if we only look for it. Doris Day’s life, marked by compassion and serenity, stood as proof that beauty is not something to be acquired but to be awakened within. She did not search for perfection — she cultivated presence.

The lesson of her words is luminous: Beauty is everywhere, but only the grateful can see it. To find beauty in the world is to heal the spirit, to soften the heart, and to strengthen the will to do good.

Practical actions: Take time each day to notice something small and let it fill you with quiet wonder — the movement of an animal, the fragrance of a flower, the sound of rain. Create a space, even a small one, where life can flourish — a garden, a window box, a bird feeder. Approach all living beings, human and animal alike, with gentleness. For as Doris Day reminds us, the truest beauty is not in what we possess or create, but in what we learn to cherish — the simple, breathing, sacred life that surrounds us all.