Beauty is also such. I have stood in the presence of such beautiful people. I have been in awe by the beauty that can radiate out of a human being. It is hard to describe, but I know I have seen it with my bare eye.
Unfortunately, our culture has reduced beauty to visual perfection. Magazine covers feature women who are not only young, healthy, and lovely- they also remove any flaw or imperfection from their body or skin. We are truly looking at aliens, meaning they are not actually human but rather something other worldy and unreal.
The same goes for the world of plastic surgery. Now, we are extremely fortunate to have such a medical wonder to have something as advanced as plastic surgery. What an amazing thing for someone who has been in a car accident and had their face destroyed or someone who has experienced a severe burn. Yet we have taken it to a new level and now alter the way we look completely so as to attempt to become less insecure or more wanted by our partners.
Lastly, I sadly see beauty tragically defamed in the world of our “sex culture”. Women who are idolized as beautiful are chock full of enhancements. Fake tans, plastic surgery, and sexy figures are what is featured in sex magazines and the growing pornography world.
I am not undermining physical beauty. Physical beauty is a god-given, wonderful and amazing thing. Women are just drop dead gorgeous. I often admire many gals as I am out and about and am truly amazed by how unique and lovely some people are! Some people do have awesome bodies they work hard for (or are just blessed to have those natural curves). Sometimes I love getting tanned, my nails done, hair blown out, or a new outfit. I am not knocking on the fact we can spruce ourselves up. I am simply saying that our culture idolizes this and makes it the standard to live up to, we go crazy trying to be skinny and pretty, and lose sight of what real beauty is in the process…
I often gaze at my daughter and am amazed at how perfect each and every feature is on her body. Her tiny toes, long eyelashes, and her sparkly eyes captivate me. Yet what I find most beautiful of all about her is her beaming smile that is so full of heart and life. But without that heart and life motivating that smile, it would be empty. She is beautiful because she is. That is it. She needs nothing more and nothing less in my opinion. There is nothing that could make her less beautiful to me- no physical imperfection could lessen her beauty.
Mother Teresa won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She founded the Missionaries of Charity. The charity focuses on giving “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor” and helps people with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, leprosy, soup kitchens, orphanages and schools. One women who reported her encounter with Mother Teresa on the website motherteresa.org, explained- “I have often been asked what it was like to look into Mothers face, and all I can say is that it was like looking into the face of God.” Is there a higher compliment?
Anne Frank is one of our most beloved writers and one of the most discussed victims of the Holocaust. Just four months before their hiding place was stormed by the Police, she wrote the following entry in her diary:
“I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know I can write …, but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent …
Yes, Anne Frank, you will:)
The first is that they were passionate. They were not sitting around looking pretty. They did things. These are thinking women. They used their minds as a weapon to fight for what meant the most to them.
They all had courage. Now I do not view courage as absence of fear. Rather, I view courage as moving despite fear. Each one faced extreme hardships, to the point I doubt I will ever experience. I do not live amongst poverty, am not living in hiding for fear of death, nor am I hated because of the color of my skin. These women still moved through the trembling of fear and imminent death. Their mind, heart, and passion motivated them.
I am going to interject one more thing I think is beautiful. That is when someone has a spirit for adventure and fun. When I am around someone funny or full of joy- I cannot help but feel more joyful myself. There is something beautiful about a woman who can find the fun in life and relax. I know a few people in my life who are great at this. They love finding crazy things to do and feeling the rush of adrenaline and just acting like a kid. I envy them because I want to be more like that! I want to make people happy to be around me!
I suppose what I am getting at is that true beauty is more full than just the face, body, and clothes. It is radiated through the face and body. It is felt, seen, and beheld by the human eye. It is achieved through work in the heart and mind. True beauty tends to both the outer and inner in balance. We ought to stop giving all the praise to beautiful people who do not possess inner beauty in Hollywood and on the streets. Outward beauty alone has little power to do anything lasting or impacting, and fades with time.
Amazing insight! Love your blog and I’m your newest fan!