To counter this, we hear statements that indicate beauty is only skin deep or it is what is inside a person that counts. So, where do you stand in this eternal discussion on beauty? For that matter, where do I stand?
As with many people I find myself saying: "Isn't that beautiful." Isn't she beautiful." "Wow, what a handsome guy." Sad but true. And I consider myself so spiritually evolved. Guess there is still work to do.
A few days ago, I came across an article on Lizzie Velasquez:
"When she was in high school, Lizzie Velasquez was dubbed "The World's Ugliest Woman" in an 8-second-long YouTube video. Born with a medical condition so rare that just two other people in the world are thought to have it, Velasquez has no adipose tissue and cannot create muscle, store energy, or gain weight. She has zero percent body fat and weighs just 60 pounds. In the comments on YouTube, viewers called her "it" and "monster" and encouraged her to kill herself. Instead, Velasquez set four goals: To become a motivational speaker, to publish a book, to graduate college, and to build a family and a career for herself.
Now 23 years old, she's been a motivational speaker for seven years and has given more than 200 workshops on embracing uniqueness, dealing with bullies, and overcoming obstacles. She's a senior majoring in Communications at Texas State University in San Marcos, where she lives with her best friend. Her first book, "Lizzie Beautiful," came out in 2010 winning the hearts of many around the world and her second, "Be Beautiful, Be You," was published earlier September and In 2013 she's hoping to write her third book.
"The stares are what I'm really dealing with in public right now," she told Dr. Drew Pinsky in an interview on CNN's Headline News. But I think I'm getting to the point where… instead of sitting by and watching people judge me, I'm starting to want to go up to these people and introduce myself or give them my card and say, 'Hi, I'm Lizzie. Maybe you should stop staring and start learning'." Velasquez was born in San Antonio, Texas; she was four weeks premature and weighed just 2 pounds, 10 ounces. "They told us they had no idea how she could have survived," her mother, Rita, 45, told the Daily Mail. "We had to buy doll's clothes from the toy store because baby clothes were too big." Doctors warned Rita and her husband, Lupe, that their oldest child would never be able to walk or talk, let alone live a normal life."
Voted Most Inspirational Story of 2012! 
I would love to say that I could handle this situation as well as this young woman has but I really don't know if I could. I've seen a few of her interviews and she is the real deal. An inspiration to all.
As I thought about Lizzie, I also remembered a woman with whom I worked in a lifetime many years ago. Her name was Digna. She was a registered nurse from the Philippines. I met her for the first time when I interviewed for a job in an OB/GYN office. I remember coming home and telling my former husband that the nurse was really nice but I had never seen someone so ugly. As I say this I am ashamed and my statement brings tears to my eyes.
Digna was probably one of the most special women to ever touch my life. Her caring and concern could not be matched. Her humor was beyond belief. You see, Digna was experiencing all the horrible effects of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud's disease. She was on a tremendous amount of medication that altered her appearance. After just a few weeks, Digna became one of the most beautiful people I ever met. She left this earth experience in January of 1985 but I still think of her often. And.....I miss her. She was always there to hear about the latest drama in my life, always there to lend an ear, always there to rescue me when needed. I do not recall ever hearing her complain. I hope in my heart of hearts that I was there for her also.
What all this means for me is to open myself to true beauty. What do I see when I look beyond the outer appearance? Hopefully, I will be more open to seeing the Divine that is expressing in an infinte number of packages.
Affirmation:
Today, I choose to see the beauty in everyone I meet.
Namaste
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