“I never feel beautiful.”
said so quietly, so vulnerably, I almost missed it.

Four words.
Four words from a beautiful woman, who doesn’t see her own beauty.
Four words that make me want to weep,
that enrage me,
that break my heart for every girl who’s ever thought them.
Four words that echo back to my own self-doubt.
Four words that stop me in my tracks,
and leave me standing, looking in the face of a woman beautiful in every way,
without four words to offer in response that will help her see for herself what I see.

After all, what power can words have over every image she’s ever seen
of airbrushed, Photoshopped beauty,
every image of unattainable perfection,
attained only through clever lighting, makeup, scalpels or just the right body cinching undergarments?
What words can I offer to erase each one she has spoken to herself?
If I hadn’t spoken those very same four words myself, then maybe I would know what to say
in the face of such beauty and such doubt.

I don’t have the words to heal the wounds,
but I do have two eyes, and a heart that see her clearly.
Yet, my heart doesn’t call me to respond with trite words of reassurance,
but to say instead, “When you were born, beauty took form as you.
Your beauty deepens with each smile.
Your beauty deepens with each kindness,
with each loving word,
with each gentle touch,
with each gift of your time,
with each sharing of grief or laughter.
With each expression of love, another layer of beauty settles upon you like morning dew upon the flower.”

You needn’t concern yourself with feeling beautiful, my friend.
Beauty rejoices as you.

Four words.

 

NOTE: This poem is from Lynda’s new book “Grace Reflected.”
You can enter to win a free copy in our latest giveaway. Hurry – the winner will be randomly selected on 5/31/21.