The other night I came home from work (it was a Friday) to an empty house and a mound of homework. I sat there and all I wanted in that moment was to look pretty. No, there were no self-esteem issues involved, I just was tired of taking lightning fast showers at 6am and wearing sweaty t-shirts and crazy messy buns while running around with kids all day. I just wanted to feel like a woman in all her feminine finery. So, I took an hour to do full make-up, hair, and perfume to accompany a red dress and heels. I then waltzed down the stairs, sliced myself some brie cheese and buckled down to a night of Statistic homework in my full regalia. Now, for those of you who don't know me well, this seems just goofy, for those of you who do know me well and know how rarely I even put a little bit of mascara on, it is shocking. But there I was looking pretty.
The next day, I woke up, jumped in the pool, and headed off to hike a long, hard, and rewarding trail with a good friend who was visiting from out of town. The views were breathtaking, the cliff faces impressive, and the company sublime. My friend would stop at every overlook jumping up and down saying (in a British accent) "It is just, simply BEAUTIFUL!!!!!" But, I realized after coming home today with cuts all over and smelling horrible, that I too felt "just, simply beautiful!"
This phenomenon has happened to me time and time again where in some of my more "bushman" moments, I feel the most like a woman. I realized it is because I shared something with the mountains in that moment. To be beautiful is for there to be a gentle strength, a melodious sturdiness. Another close friend remarked that the beauty of nature lies in the chaotic order, and what better way to describe the beauty of a woman.
Despite what google images displays, beauty is not just a face well done with make-up, it is the chaotic order that makes up a woman; her emotions, her movements, her drives, her words, her looks. These are all un-comprehendible, and yet, it is this combination of seeming contradictions that make a woman share in the beauty of the world. You would never describe a man as beautiful. No, he is "strong, handsome, brave, daring," but these words are so simple in comparison to the words describing women - "enchanting, radiant, captivating, beautiful." These are words that require a complexity far beyond one physical or emotional factor.
Despite what google images displays, beauty is not just a face well done with make-up, it is the chaotic order that makes up a woman; her emotions, her movements, her drives, her words, her looks. These are all un-comprehendible, and yet, it is this combination of seeming contradictions that make a woman share in the beauty of the world. You would never describe a man as beautiful. No, he is "strong, handsome, brave, daring," but these words are so simple in comparison to the words describing women - "enchanting, radiant, captivating, beautiful." These are words that require a complexity far beyond one physical or emotional factor.
All this is to say, that when you confuse even yourself, or when others ridicule you for not being "simple" or for "not making sense," don't try to change yourself to be one of the boys, to fit in. I'm not saying that this is a license to be dramatic or petty, but it is a challenge to be something so much more. Take the leap, dive in, and be beautiful.
