'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'
nope, he thinks i'm what beautiful is.
so then i started thinking- you know those really deep, distracting thoughts that make you brush your teeth for five minutes too long and forget to rinse the conditioner out of your hair in the shower {yep, i did} and my thinking was that beauty is a very complex thing to define- it means something completely different to each of us. and it's so much more then clothes and shoes on the pages of a catalogue- yes they are beautiful, but i think that even more beautiful are things that aren't things. things you can't buy or keep or wear, but feelings places, and people- these are all more beautiful than the lovely wonders the anthro store window contains.
to orlando, beauty is my curly hair, sticking to his scruff as we roll around in bed in the morning. it's my freckly shoulders and loud laugh, my obsession with things that sparkle and my eagerness to always be planning a grand trip to somewhere magical.
to me, beauty is warm sunshine on my cheeks and a successful batch of homemade cookies. beauty is family dinner on sunday evening and every where we go, my little hand in my love's big, strong hand. beauty is the way he spoons me in the chilly morning hours and his easy smile, his passion for justice and his perfect brown eyes. beauty is stacy's mama glow and the way she looks at her baby girl like she's all her dreams come true, bottled up in that little person. it's ambition, drive, confidence, and a sure knowledge of our divine heritage as women, men, and children of God. that's beautiful.
so now tell me, what's beautiful to you?
i really want to know.
I've been thinking a lot about this topic lately and I would say beautiful means a couple of different things to me. The first thing that popped into my head was upstate New York in the fall when the leaves are at the peak of changing color, you add a walk around a pond or a lake with my little family to that picture and it is simply breath taking. Another thing that really defines beautiful is my husband asleep on the couch with our son in his arms. I cannot get enough of that sight. Thats why I have so many pictures of Jay fast asleep with Hyrum in his arms. And the thing that makes me feel beautiful is a smile not matter where it comes from. It could come from a complete stranger but if I get smiled at it just makes my day and makes me feel special.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! It is so true. I think someone is gorgeous and Greg is like you look better :). That is why we married them right. I think beauty is when my house is clean, the way Greg touches my belly, family, a warm spring day, kids outside writing with chalk... I could go on and on.
ReplyDeleteI love this, Linds! Thanks for thinking that beauty is happiness all wrapped up in a little Claire. She is my dream come true! :) On Sunday, I was having an ugly day. You know what I'm talking about. We all have them. I went to church completely convinced that I looked like crap. Then, in primary, this little visitor boy, Jesse, said in a whisper, "Hey, you look really pretty." A 7 year old just made my entire day. How sweet! I think beauty is all things children. They're so innocent and pure. Even when my house is a complete disaster I can look around and see that even throwing movies all over the floor is beautiful because Claire thought it was the most exciting thing for that moment. Beauty is going to bed and waking up next to my sweetheart. Holding hands. Having new experiences together. Reminiscing on the old days and living in the present. Freshly washed clothes still warm from the dryer. The smell of freshly cut grass. The smell of sprinklers at dusk. Laughter. I could go on and on. I love this post though, Linds, because it truly makes me think about what I love and it makes me so happy! Anthropologie can't even come close!
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ReplyDeleteYeah I'm with you, Kara, I get caught up in my body and my clothes and then I start comparing myself to others- and I forget to see the beauty in myself, in people and places around me. It's a constant battle of reminding yourself what's really important, but so worth it!
ReplyDeleteYou say it so beautifully, Stace. Anthro doesn't even come close, you're right!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lindsey