When I started my business years ago I simply sought to offer
women something I had been in search of myself…painless aging! I could not have
imagined at the time the doors that would be opened to me by hundreds of women
willing to open their hearts and share their stories. Stories of tragedy,
triumph, joy, sorrow… all the things that weave our lives into the complex and
beautiful stories of who we each are. In
the hundreds of emails I have received, I have witnessed “beauty” in so many
forms, and it has been both heartwarming and inspiring. It got me to thinking,
what is it that makes a woman beautiful? As I talk to all of these women I am
instantly captivated by their beauty, and yet most I have never seen!
I recently had a wonderful lunch with a childhood friend who I
have known for over 50 years. We do not see each other as often as we wish, but
when we do it’s as if it was yesterday. We chat about the things that most
women our age do, and it is space in time that is filled with laughter and memories.
After lunch, I was telling my daughter that my friend has not changed in all these
years. She wanted to know how that was possible?! And it dawned on me… that
while physically she is as beautiful to me now as she was when we were
children, her smile, warmth, and elegance have truly remained timeless.
I was curious about what other people thought on the topic so I
posed the question on Facebook. Dozens of people, men and women, responded. The
replies were both honest and encouraging. Of course there were some of the
usual remarks from the guys you might expect. Hey, I knew I had opened the
door! J But many were
surprising and said they looked for “genuine smiles” and “warmth” as measures
of beauty.
This particular response by a friend, Deborah, was very
representative of what most said. "For the physical trait I like to
see people with "smiley eyes". The inner characteristic that I find
beautiful is warmth. These are the people that just make you feel happy being
around them. They make you feel as if you matter to them. Funny, I immediately
liked you when we emailed because of that...”
Her response summed up what I have found in my childhood friend
– really beautiful women are those that make you feel joy, simply by being
around them. They make you feel as if you matter.
I have been blessed with so many lovely people in my life, those
that I can honestly confide in and who I love deeply. Friends and family who let
me know I am as important in their life, as they are in mine, even if time or
distance keeps us apart. When I look into their eyes, I see and feel something that
goes beyond physical beauty.
While make-up can do magical things, genuine “Beauty” is not
about physical appearances. It is how we live and who we have become, from our
greatest challenges, to our most joyful moments. And it is in the confidence, strength,
and warmth that we bestow upon others that makes us GORGEOUS!
Now go be beautiful!
