Beauty is in the eyes of . . .

It was time for me to get my passport renewed. I went to the Post Office and they gave me a form and told me I needed to get my picture taken. Oh, no! I hate getting my picture taken for these types of things. It never comes out nice and it always looks like a mug shot. I got the photo done at CVS (located near the post office) and they had to do it twice. I'm just glad to get it over with.

I go to the Post Office and the very nice lady said to me, “Oh, honey we can’t use this picture. They’ll reject it because you hair is covering your eye. Just go back have them do it again and when you come back don’t wait on line, just right up to my window.”

Fine. I get it done again. My hair was just slightly over my eye. You could see 98% of my eye, but the picture was okay. The third time was the worst. I mentioned that it wasn’t a good shot and the lady said to me, “All these pictures come out bad, it’s just the way it is.” Thanks. I’m so glad my photo is as hideous as everyone else’s. I appreciate the support and understanding. Whatever happened to lying to the customer. “Oh, it’s a nice shot. Everyone thinks their photo is bad, but this is one looks good.”

I’ve met beautiful women – I mean, model beautiful – and they have no self-confidence in their beauty or truly believe they are not attractive at all. I’ve met women that the world may say is not very beautiful – but they have charm and carry themselves as if they were Miss America. Why is that? I think it’s because beauty comes from within. I have a hard time accepting compliments from Tom, but he consistently tells me I’m beautiful. He tells me daily. He says he loves me daily. There are days I say thank you and there are days I look at him with the eyes of woman who’s happy the man she’s married to believes she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

Why do I diminish his compliment? Does he love for me lesson my beauty in his eyes? Does it really matter what my passport photo looks like? Does the beauty inside leak on the outside?

If my focus is on Him who created me then the beauty he created (me) is beautiful in the eyes that matter the most – His. It’s the whole package and when I am not happy with any part of the package, that is when I’ll pick on the outside of me – I’m too heavy, this looks terrible on me, my hair looks gross today. I’ll also pick on the inside – I’m not very nice, I’m too critical, I should think more of others.

To be honest I do like my eyes and I like to make people laugh. So, what part of the outside do you like about yourself? What do you like about what’s inside of you? Come on, I shared, now it’s your turn.

© Nadine Zawacki 2009