This is an interesting Reverb10 prompt, it gives me a desire to write in three directions at once (including the one that says "nothing I am/do is beautiful" but we'll shush that particular critic for the evening. She only shows up a day or two a month anyway and we mostly ignore her.)
First and foremost, I have to mention this great project on BlogHer.com this year called Own Your Own Beauty.
Rather than trying to summarize, let me just quote what the mission of this project is:
We are the beautiful people. All women. Every one of us. And that's amazing.
Own Your Beauty is a groundbreaking, year-long movement bringing women together to change the conversation about what beauty means. Our mission: to encourage and remind grown women that it is never too late to learn to love one's self and influence the lives of those around us - our mothers, friends, children, neighbors. We can shift our minds and hearts and change the path we follow in the pursuit of authentic beauty.
I like the message in the mission they're doing, and I have already read some great articles like this one, that one, and this other one. Check it out, definitely. I included this profile picture of myself on one of those pages, because I was really happy with the way it turned out. "Sweet light" - I managed to grab a few last photos with that perfect late afternoon autumn sunlight, fantastic.
Meanwhile, the thought that keeps jumping out at me about this prompt is the idea that the things that make you different are what make you beautiful. The idea that's totally new to me from this is that the things that we *do* - the actions we take, have some role in defining our beauty.
I'm a writer, and one of the primary things we talk about in fiction is that one's character is revelaed through his or her actions. I have always believed and understood that, but our actions giving us a characteristic - beauty, that's whoa-pass-the-tequilla-level deep thoughts.
But then again, there's those defining moments in your life to smack you in the face and tell you who's boss. Giving birth is of course a nice big obvious one. I've never felt quite as powerful as those two days (although I'll admit to each November upon completion of National Novel Writing Month, I get close again. See, writing is what I was meant to do with my life, just as much as parenting is!)
I have also seen it lately with our new pet - I've got a knack. I'm good with animals (not every one, but the ones who live in my house, certainly.) There's something inherently validating about being followed around the house by not one, not two, but three living beings who don't talk and can't tell me why they're doing what they're doing. They just do it.
My children think I'm beautiful, which is a lovely two way street because of course I'm certain they're the most beautiful things that exist on the planet. Perfection like that. The gods break the molds afterwards, not wanting us to be greedy.
But all the little things that make me quirky and different? Those are beautiful? I have a little difficulty seeing how my quirky inability to keep track of detailed financial information to be anything but a pain in the arse, not beauty, but my quirky interest in trees, flowers, prairie plants...my advocacy for my children and gifted education...my choice to become a breastfeeding counselor and educator? I know for a fact that there are women today on this planet who think of me when looking at their nursing toddler who they weren't sure would ever get latched on properly, or who decided to take a hiatus from work because I talked about my experiences ("sequencing" like what Madeline Albright and Sandra Day O'Connor did of raising a family then having massive career accomplishments...I'm waiting RIGHT HERE for my book deal, publishers. You hear me?) There were women like that in my life ahead of me and they certainly were beautiful, even that quirky one with dreadlocks and questionable hygeine, because she was there when I needed information and support and I'll never forget her, I just always chose to stand downwind.
So rather than me blathering on - it's up to you now. How do the things that make you different make you beautiful?
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