Thoughts on Beauty

Good friends of mine have started an outreach to pre-teen & teenage girls. It's exciting & everyone involved is a buzz with the creative energy that often accompanies new projects. I'm not directly working with the group, as much as a "support" person for them, and I still find myself thinking about their "stuff" quite a bit these days. The group is starting out with discussions on the theme of beauty, so I thought I would put some of my own thoughts down and ask for yours too :~)

I might have a different eye for beauty than the average American consumer, as my idea of beauty is not entirely devoted to the shiny & new, the latest fashion, or the popular ideas of the day (not that I'm some sort of hippie!) I follow the styles closely enough to not stick out & embarrass my friends and family, but not so closely that it's impossible to shop at Goodwill.

What do you find beautiful? Here are some of the things that thrill my heart:

• Watching my parents walking hand-in-hand. They'll celebrate their 50th anniversary next year and are already excitedly considering just how to commemorate the occasion!
• The look of quiet confidence and joy in my husband's eyes when I tell him "I love you" for about the millionth time!
  
• Seeing Little Bit finally settle in to a nap in my arms, forehead damp with fever, tear stains on his cheeks, but at peace with Mama.
• The little white spot on Lilypad's head that I'm sure Jesus put there as an indication that Mama should give her kisses, right there.
• Catching my good friend being kissed by her husband when they first arrived somewhere separately and didn't know I was watching.
• Seeing an older woman friend reach out & help others, while never letting on just how exhausted she is; just so she can be "Jesus' hands" in touching people's lives.

I think most of my stuff boils down to (what I hope is) an improved paraphrase of a movie quote, "Beauty is, as Beauty does".