On Beauty, Part 2

Moreso than anything else I have published here, friends have asked me about my post, "For the Love of Beautiful Women".  I am very pleased that this piece of exploration into beauty has gained some attention.  I suspect it means that I have written about something important to people.  Today, partially because of a request by one of my friends in the twitterverse, I revisit the topic of beauty.

Beauty resonates.  Its source is somewhere from within the person, in the realm of the spirit.  We all are endowed with beauty.  Some people have allowed the pain of living to dominate them so that the resonance of their beauty cannot be felt.  Pain, when it receives energy and attention from you, becomes strong and prominent.  Many people wear their pain in masks of anger, apathy, disdain, or detachment.  It is hard to see their beauty through the masks and walls.  Pain comes to us all.  It is the beautiful spirit who gives the pain no more attention than a stone in her shoe.  A momentary pause, a cleansing breath, and then it's released.

I know there are many who believe there is beauty in suffering.  There is truth in that.  What people see in the victim, or rather, feel from her, is a desire to save her from the pain, to lead her to comfort.  Through this desire we may sincerely be trying to connect with the other person, but it may also be an end to itself.  Some of us realize that we are attracted to "damaged" people, those we wish to rescue or fix.  What happens, then, once there is a return to calm and normalcy?  The next suffering friend suddenly seems so much more attractive.

True beauty transcends the circumstances, including the flow of time.  You recognize it within your being.  At times of stress and chaos, the presence of beauty calms you.  At times when you have slipped into unawareness and tedium, the beauty awakens you, and reminds you of the present.  When this happens, you feel the wonderful rush of awareness.  You remember your own power and vitality when her beauty resonates with yours.  There is a harmonious energy that is felt, quite real, which cannot be denied. This is the kind of beauty that should be pursued and nurtured.  This is where love may be found.

Beauty manifests itself in the outer person in countless ways.  The body, in all of its wonderful variations, houses, protects, and projects the inner beauty of the spirit.  If you are aware enough to see, there she will be; ageless, radiant, and lovely.  She may be concerned by superfluous facets of life or age, but you, if you are seeing clearly, will see truth.

Beauty is all around.  Where there is life, so also lives beauty.

For the love of beautiful women.

I don't know when I learned about beautiful women. Like most boys, I suppose it must have started with my mother, who, as you may assume, is a beautiful woman. She is crippled now in multiple ways from illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis. Her mobility is so limited that her hair is nothing but a matted nest of tangles that will probably have to be cut free and left to grow again. But through all of this pain and loss of her former self, my mother has retained the essence of her beauty. She still can and does express her love for me and my children, for a dog, or perhaps a fallen bird. She loves still. And this capacity to love is the source of beauty.

I have met many beautiful women who have the sort of socially coveted beauty paraded across media outlets like an incessant pageant with rotating princesses. Their beauty often becomes tarnished as soon as the first conversation begins. From their beautiful mouths and betwixt their luminous, equine teeth what should issue forth? Insecurities, defensive and offensive darts and barbs, vulgarities and cruelties, elitism, racism, any of the contemptible isms. What is there to gain from speaking further with such a woman? There are enough people in any life who will worm their way into your circles, people you never invited, yet people still who become necessarily linked with you. Why would any sane person choose to add another of their ilk into the pack? When a woman churns poison and sprays it out through her mouth, her beauty loses all of its magic.

There are many beautiful women in the world. This is the great part of the message. They are married and single. They are born of all races and from all countries. Culture, heritage, orientations- all are introduced and accentuated by her true beauty. They are women whose spirits deliver bursts of love and energy like the morning light filtered through a sun catcher. Women such as these aren't trying to impress yet still their beauty is compelling.

Believe in this. It is real, this beauty that women possess. It is not so rare as you might imagine. This kind of beauty will be found where there is kindness and sincere laughter. Where there is compassion, caring, and joy for life, there, too, lives this beauty.

Don't take me to mean that I believe in flawless and shimmering beings. The spirit is so, but the lives we lead are far from flawless. Women who are beautiful can drink and be inked. They can be pierced and fierce. The beauty of the spirit illuminates the visible stage production that the world is allowed to see.

To any who read this, I hope you know the truth contained in this little rambling. You beautiful women in my life, thank you for being you. To those I have yet to meet, I hope you have someone like me who can see your true nature and be knocked happily breathless whenever you enter the room.