Beauty. What really is it?

BEAUTY.

My family is beautiful.  My sister, my mom, my dad, my grandparents, my cousins, aunts, uncles....so beautiful.
Grace, faith and compassion are beautiful.
So are my friends, my art form, my fellow collaborators.
Days off and time of rest is beautiful.
The ocean is beautiful, as is a forest on a mountainside or a foggy, empty Western Loudoun County road at sunrise.
Knowledge is beautiful.  But knowledge can't be acquired without uncertainty and questions.  So those are beautiful, too.
Smiles and laughter are beautiful.  The joy of a child is absolutely beautiful.
Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side and whipped cream on top is the most beautiful of all treats.
New York City, in all its chaos, is stunning.
Confidence--without cockiness--is beautiful.
Passion--without close-mindedness--is beautiful.
The dresses on the racks at the designer boutiques down the street are pretty.  But the appreciation for them by those purchasing those garments is what's beautiful.

In my mind, to be beautiful is more than a state of being.  For me, it's more about the meaning behind the given.  I feel that no matter how cliche it may be, saying that inner beauty is greater than outer beauty is accurate.  I've recently noticed myself placing so much more valuable in constants, found myself appreciating what is.  I see standard-meeting "beautiful" people on the street every day, day in and day out and while yes, they may be aesthetically pretty--"perfect" hair, "perfect" physique, well put-together ensembles, etc, etc...--influential beauty in my days come from the hard-working, passionate dancers I'm surrounded with all day every day at the studio.  From the kid on the sidewalk who stops at a street musician to put some money in their open case.  From the sun and the sky.  Even from the grey clouds on a rainy day because I know that somewhere behind those clouds the sun sits, waiting patiently to be soon.
 I find beauty in truth, in purity, in honesty, in value, in appreciation, in gratitude, in solidarity, in questions, in answers, in love, in laughter, in thanksgiving, in selflessness, in thoughtfulness...I think you've got the picture.  This list could go on for a long while.
So for me, it's not so much the visual "attractiveness" of someone or thing or place, but it's more about the answers of "why" and "how" my attraction to it has caught hold of me with such strength.

I feel that beauty exceeds the visual range of my eyes and delves into that of my heart.  The heart able to respond much more readily to and read much more honestly the underpinning bases of what is beautiful.




But that's just me! This is just something I had on my mind and on my heart today so I felt compelled to share!
I'd love to make this a more interactive blog...Please feel free to comment with responses, thoughts, questions, stories...As much as I love sharing all of these thoughts that manifest in my mind so often, sometimes even I get tired of listening to myself talk!  :)  No pressure, no obligation, but consider this your standing invitation :)

Have a beautiful week, my friends :)
M