"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is only a helpful aphorism if I know that my eye is the eye that matters. Trying to be beautiful for every other eye is impossible and depressing.
When I was younger I believed that beauty was something like this: thin, long hair, clear skin, long lashes, straight teeth. At my age (undisclosed) my view of beauty is more like this: intelligence, kindness, having teeth (I'm still shallow- just being honest), smiling, integrity, modesty (in every sense), courage.
You might be thinking "...well, mom isn't those first things anymore, except clear skin... but now she has wrinkles...ewwww." I haven't changed my view so I can still qualify as beautiful in my own eye. I have discovered that most of the time beauty enters my eye it doesn't have long hair and weigh less than 160 pounds.
I started working with Cub Scouts a year or so ago. There is a monthly meeting called "round table" where Boy Scouts of America leaders in my community teach leaders from local packs. I have observed an amazing array of beautiful women at these meetings who are respected, admired and treated as equals by their male counter parts. They are all ages, shapes and sizes. Their hairstyles are not memorable. I don't think they wore makeup. I can say in confidence that they were all dressed in khaki scout clothing. What I do remember, can't forget, is their confidence, enthusiasm, kindness and deep, deep beauty. That is beauty I want to emulate.
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