You are beautiful.

I recently posted a question on Facebook asking what or who makes folks feel beautiful. Living in a world that places such a high value on youth and appearance imagine my pleasant surprise at the responses. Most everyone mentioned a loved one or another human being that made them feel special. It warms my heart to know that there is so much love and beauty out there that is not based on narrow perceptions of what people "should" look like.

It has always been my approach to encourage others to recognize their own beauty without accouterment. As my Nana used to say makeup is just puttin a lil paint on that ole barn. I love my Nana, she is the most glamorous woman I know. A cosmetologist for 40+ years now in the evening of her time on earth. I don't mention her age because she is after all a southern lady and still has that fly swat with my name on it. Her health is not what it once was and I worry about her, but I consider myself fortunate to be the grandchild of the most glamourous woman in Davidson County. She has always made me feel special and loved.

Getting back to the topic at hand the idea of beauty, while a feminine concept I think it has more universal appeal. We all want to feel attractive, loved, and special. If you do not have someone that does that for you let me say right here and now you are beautiful. Now don't start arguing with me or walking away, it's true you are. We were all created as special and glorious beings capable of amazing feats. The more I work with varying populations the more I see how beautiful the human family is, and sadly how many don't know it. The media does a good job of telling us what is beautiful but again I think back to my Nana.

She came of age in a time of radio and no People magazine or in her case the Enquirer....I did mention she was southern right? Values were different and the measurement of what made a person beautiful was too. I hope to always see the world through that lense, you know the one that says true beauty comes from the inside. Now before you roll your eyes I would point out that when queried most of my responses about this subject had to do with how people made them feel....not a tube of lipstick or a snazzy outfit. As 2010 comes to a close and the pulse of the electronic age quickens I challenge myself and others to remember, we are all beautiful, and no ad, commercial, or skinny b@#$h with a latte can tell us different.