I used to love to watch my mom get all dolled up.  I would intently watch as she put on her mascara, lipstick, and the  amazing dangle earrings!  Every now and then, she would stroke my face with a makeup brush and I would gaze into the mirror hoping one day to be as pretty as her.

I now have my daughter sitting by my side begging me to add some sparkle to her day. It’s amazing what a sprinkle of powder can do for her confidence. We’ll find a flower for her hair and flowy gown to twirl in.  She will run to the mirror and dance with joy!

When I buy an outfit now, I could care less what any man thinks, (except my hubby!) it’s my women friends that I want to notice.  There is nothing like a compliment from a woman/girl. They truly appreciate all the trouble we go through just to get just the right outfit, shoes, or hair done perfectly.

A bit silly, I know.  But so much fun, to fuss over someone finding something that makes that person just sparkle!

Sadly many women today are expected to look perfect.  Even models are airbrushed. We are being told to be beautiful is to be flawless and that just isn’t true.

I have met a lot of beautiful people in my lifetime.  Not one do I remember that way because of what they looked like on the outside.  Rather it was their character that left them unforgettable.

I have met some people that by the world’s standard should be a model but were not pretty on the inside.  I have also met others who were considered wallflowers that were gorgeous!

What I love about G-d, is that each person is made in His image.  Really, there are no ugly people.  Every person has something stunning about them, that someone else longs to have.

It’s not their nose, bustline, waistline, or skin…  Rather it’s that twinkle in their personality that illuminates their shell and allows me to see who they really are.  When you look into their eyes you can see the kindness and love shimmer through their eyes or smile, and you just feel loved.

After a long bout of being really sick, it took it’s toll on my skin. I have always been insecure about the way I looked.  Since I have been recovering, I have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror. At thirty-seven, it just feels so shameful to be dealing with the scars of serious acne.

One day as I poured on the makeup to hide my imperfections, I felt this feeling of a deeper voice inside saying, “I am a survivor. These marks are scars of battle, and they are beautiful.”

As I felt myself pull back a bit stunned, I was reminded of so many who daily deal with much more pressing issues than their self-esteem.

Self-focus is taught in our society, and it’s destroying everything it touches.

The media has lied to us. Marketing is teaching us that we are not enough unless we look a certain way.  We constantly are bombarded by body shame, fad diets, makeup,  youth serums, surgery, anything to make the ugly go away! But in reality, those things aren’t what enhance our beauty.  Instead, it is who we really are on the inside that makes us stand out.

I remember as I got ready for my own son’s funeral, I was thankful to have a friend to help dress me. I was lost in my grief and could barely figure out how to buckle my shoe, let alone prepare myself to be in public. It was a sobering experience. Looks didn’t matter.

I didn’t remember what anyone was wearing or if they looked good.

Instead, I remembered all the beautiful souls.

You know, the ones whose mascara was running down their faces as they wept with me.

The people who came over to feed me and sat quietly as I worked through the shock.

Or the loved ones who stood by the coffin of my son and spoke kind words, when I felt I couldn’t make it one more hour.

Or those who float in my life with just the right words of encouragement to keep me focused on what really matters.

The beautiful people aren’t the ones with the perfect body.  Rather it is those who choose to bless others with kind acts that don’t get much attention but may have saved you or I from the depths of despair.

So the next time that you find yourself looking in the mirror feeling like you are not enough, I want to remind you of this truth.  Your face does not define your beauty, rather it’s who you are.  G-d created your very heart for a specific reason, and that is not to be taken lightly.

At the end of the day, if you have embodied kindness and love, you can be assured that you are the most beautiful girl, and you are priceless.