By Lena Wallace

Some people think Beauty is
Youth
Perfection
Flawless skin
Shining locks of hair, no gray to be seen
Perfect health
Perfect makeup
Perfect smile
Perfect body, smooth, shining…
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know elderly women
Who wear their gray hair like silver crowns
Their days of youth are over,
Their days of life waning
But they never let that stop them from loving.
They teach students in classrooms,
Gifting their years of wisdom to young minds.
They are no longer young and pretty and full of energy,
But they are venerable queens,
Beautiful, radiant, with smiles that light up a room
And they are loved by all who know them.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know a woman
A mother of eight
She struggles with teaching her children
Maintaining a healthy weight
Loving her husband
To those who don’t know her, she doesn’t seem much,
But to those who know her and love her
She is flawless, radiant, kind, always willing to love
And help those in need.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know two little girls
Adopted from China by a loving family
They each have different forms of cerebral palsy
They struggle to adjust, to be brave,
But they are brilliant and loving, incredibly sweet,
And they have radiant smiles for all they meet.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know a girl
Young and radiant, but insecure about her appearance,
Her hair
Her face
Her weight
But her smile is brilliant, her heart is true, and she is fiercely loyal to her friends.
Her eyes light up when she laughs, and it is dazzling.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know a girl
Struggling with fear, anxiety, depression
She fears so much, she tries to cover it
She doesn’t sleep much, she hides the dark circles
She loves so much, but she fears to be hurt again.
But when she laughs, her face is radiant, even through the fear and pain.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know a young woman
Quiet and thoughtful
She doesn’t like attention,
She doesn’t want to make a big deal out of things
But she will talk with you for hours
About life, struggles
Loves and fears
Joys and tears
A mentor to the downcast, with a beautiful heart.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know a young woman
Small in stature
Plain in looks
But strong in heart
Though she is small, she is mighty
Her smile is dazzling, her voice divine
She is a hard worker and a solid friend
If you fall she will pick you right back up again.
Do you know what Beauty is?

I know a woman
Mother of seven
She often gets exasperated with her children, husband, friends, and for good reasons, usually
But she is always willing to serve
To find someone a place to stay
To cook them a meal
To comfort the grieving, laugh with the joyful.
She gives love to all, and sometimes feels
Overwhelmed
Underaccepted
But she is loved by all, and she keeps her household running and her children safe.
She is my mother, and she is a queen among women.
Do you know what Beauty is?

Beauty is not a perfect face
Beauty is not a flawless body
A person’s worth is not counted by appearance
Value is not measured by
Your hair
Your body
Your mental state
Your physical health
Your skills
Your flaws
Beauty is what one does
Beautiful is what one’s heart is
Beauty is measured by those who love you
Not by strangers
Not by the media
Not by standards too high to reach
Beauty is measured by
Love.