TRUE & REAL BEAUTY!

I just taught a lesson about loving ourselves and wanted to share a bunch of great info. that I found.  First of all, I went to a meeting last week where a woman was talking about a story of a little boy who asked a young man if he was a "REAL" missionary.  When we start thinking about what it means to be real at whatever or whoever we are, it puts things in a new perspective.  Am I a "REAL" mother, daughter, sister, friend, wife, or even person for that matter?  I have a friend who has used the word 'true' for many years and it has taken on a special meaning for me.  I feel that true and real go together.  As people in our society, do we even understand what true and real are?  I can put on the face, clothes, accessories, etc. and "appear" to be what is socially acceptable, at least in my own eyes.  But why are we living that way?  Why do we care so much about what others expect from us?  Looking a certain way, or feeling a certain way.  Here's the BIG QUESTION - Do we do it to ourselves?  Do I expect certain things from myself because that's what I expect from others?  WHOA!  I actually love it when I meet or know someone out of the norm.  How interesting to see things from a different perspective. Are we 'real' when we are truly loved like the Velveteen Rabbit?  Could be!  So here's what I know.  I'm a daughter of God who was blessed to come to this world, this country, this family.  Blessings are abundant!  I love my parents, husband, children, family, etc, etc, etc.  I smile a lot most of the time because I am aware of my blessings, and I have earned or been blessed with the proof of my joy by the lines on my face.  The color of my hair is showing the life in my years - worry (something I learned from my beautiful MOM) - and besides, gray is one of my favorite colors!  My DAD has been gray from the time I was born - people called him the 'SILVER FOX'.  (I love you Daddy!) My nose is long and going to get longer as that and ears never stop growing for our whole lives.  It is the nose of my Grandma Thueson and my wonderful DAD.  I outwardly carry a piece of both of them wherever I go.  I'm a lucky girl!  My body reminds me more and more of my Mama's.  As she has gotten older and I've been able to help care for her, I am more grateful for this body and the amazingness (it's a word to me!) of it .  Her's is soft, worn from hard work but also shows the gentleness that she has carried throughout her life.  I am blessed to look like her.  I always remember her wearing house dresses (one of my favorites) and men's shirts (I love them too!) - she always reminded me of Katherine Hepburn.  I sometimes feel that there is a style for me that I haven't yet found - in dressing I mean.  I have certain outfits that I feel comfortable in - that I feel are right for my body.  I wish I could just wear that outfit in 50 different prints everyday of my life.  To be real and true i guess, I would just do it - always wear something that just feels like ME. (I'll work on it!)  Hair, that's another one.  There is one haircut that should be ME - natural, easy, quick.  Nothing that takes HOT equipment to achieve.  Do you ever think of what would happen if some natural or unnatural thing happened and took all of the silliness out of our society?  What if we had to get back to basics and quit all the craziness that we get so caught up in?  No make-up, hair colors, waxing, plastic surgery, piercing, tattooing, plug in hair stuff, designer clothes, trendy stuff, magazines, advertising, etc. that made us think that they were necessary.  But they are everywhere, and so we must be aware and know that we have the choice to subscribe or not - and it will be O.K.  I am enough - that's what someone profoundly said.  She is not her body and I am not mine.  It's what's inside that matters to Heavenly Father.  But, our outsides tell a story too.  What story does yours tell?  Mine?  Are they telling the stories that we have chosen or that someone else has chosen for us?  Just a thought.
"Beauty comes from a life well lived. If you’ve lived well, your smile lines are in the right places."