My estranged real
father made me feel that I was pretty. He teared up when looking at me in a party dress, in a wedding dress, in jeans sitting on his couch. My husband has always made me feel that I am
pretty (short hair, long hair, weight up, weight down). Perhaps that’s why I
married him. My Aunt Georgia, who
embodies femininity, fun and prettiness has a way of making me feel, and
actually wanting to be, pretty. She
makes me feel that pretty is fun.
I could
stop right there. I’ve been blessed in
my life with these three making me feel so wonderful – who could ask for more
than that?
This is all rather
odd to me though as I don’t think much about pretty. I’m definitely a girly-girl, but I’ve never
been a princess or a diva or had my looks be my most defining
characteristic. (I can only hope my
smile has been my defining feature.)
I do
always wear make-up which I can apply in five minutes flat at the age of fifty. I can get ready for an evening out in 10 minutes - high maintenance I'm not. I’ve told friends that I wear lipstick not
just as a beauty statement, but because my lips become too dry and chapped if I
don’t.
But I write about
pretty with really such a different meaning.
Pretty is in the eye of the beholder ….with a deeper connection than physical appearance. Others looking at us are much less
critical and far more appreciative than when we look at ourselves.
Sometimes, it’s the special moments in our
lives – the dinner at a beautiful restaurant, the evening out at a show or
concert, the candlelight and conversation when it’s not forced or rushed – that
exemplify life itself. It’s these
special highlights that we sometimes call upon in hard times or angry times to
keep things in perspective and try to see the positive.
When I, for just a
moment now and then, feel pretty and looked at fondly by someone I love, I can feel a little taste of the
elixir of life itself and all seems good.
And it has nothing to do really with how I look; it's how it makes me feel.
It’s our sparkle and our attitude that will
impact others.
