A couple strange things happened this week. A few days ago I had an eye exam for new glasses. After the exam I was working with the tech to find new frames. After she measured my eyeballs she said, ‘Wow, you’re perfectly symmetrical, that’s a big deal.’ When I asked her why, she said, ‘Well, most people are not symmetrical and there have been studies relating symmetry to attractiveness and beauty’. Hmmm. I looked it up and yes, there have been studies, but they also say that bilateral symmetry is an important indicator of freedom from disease. Well, as a child I had scarlet fever, chicken pox, chronic tonsillitis, and as an adult, allergies and of course, cancer. In terms of attractiveness, I was not asked to too many dances or dates in high school; I was even set up for my senior prom by one of my teachers. Perfect symmetry has not helped me much. Another strange thing this week was the story of the 8 year old girl getting Botox from her mom. What? How have we become so obsessed with outer beauty?
I’ve had the privilege this year of celebrating the life of two 90+ year old women, one for her birthday, and the other in her death. The birthday party was in a nursing home and it was a celebration. Ms. Louise wore a tiara and pale pink lipstick. She gave a speech after blowing out her candles and said she’s had a good life and just wished for a good rest of her life. So simple, the beauty was in her eyes and the life she had lived so far; and of course, Grandma Lucille from my past blog. In her passing, we reflected on the life she lived. She was a beautiful woman because she loved people.
What is beauty? After cancer, every person is beautiful to me. Here are my thoughts:
- Beauty comes from our history
- Beauty comes from knowing that we are each a unique creation; in being confident in how we are wired
- Beauty comes from the depths of our soul, how we treat people and love even our enemy because we know they are also a unique creation and that they also have a story.
True beauty comes from within, and I don’t mean from within tubes of lipstick or jars of anti-aging lotions (although of course, those are fun to play with). No amount of make up can change who we are on the inside. True beauty comes from our story, the pieces we pick up in our journey that continues to mold us into who we will be tomorrow. Soak it all in; the good, the bad, and everything in between.
Today, I’m wearing YSL Golden Gloss #7. It’s sheer, warm, sparkly gold, just how God looks at us, like precious gold.
Anna's Lipstick Journey 
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