Beauty,
Isn’t it something we all search for?
Both in ourselves,  and others around
Some in the faces of the crowd
Others behind closed doors,  in front of rectangular objects otherwise known as mirrors? 

When you look at yourself
You don’t see beauty, of that I’m certain
You see flaws, imperfection

You see everything you don’t have and declare that as beautiful

You see short, or long untamed hair
You think of trimming it, or buying a wig. Maybe then you’d see beauty
You trim the hair, then you see the thin eyebrows and overly large lips
You’d do something about them if you could, another one out there somewhere
is wishing their lips were even slightly fuller

You see small brown eyes staring back at you and wonder: why not big blue ones?
But darling, beauty is neither the absence
nor the presence of certain physical aspects
It’s staying beautiful despite the flaws

It’s in the full blown smile you wear on your imperfect face
the morning after you cry yourself to sleep
It’s the sincere companionship you provide a sunken soul
despite wanting to be alone
Beauty is in how much love there’s in your heart
It’s giving without expecting
It’s in your strength, your ability to move on and drag yourself
despite everything that weighs you down

Beauty, it is in seeing your flaws imperfections and still know that you’re wonderfully made
That you’re not damaged
And you’re not someone else’s opinion of you
you’re not anyone’s version of beautiful but your own

Because darling, your beauty lies within you