I Am Beautiful

    
"If everyone lit their own candle, the whole world would be lit." Mary Moskovitz

I am beautiful.
     I don't have a perfect complexion. I don't have an incredible smile or eyes that draws people in. I am 5'2", average by most standards, and I bite my nails. My makeup never looks quite right. No one has ever accused me of being gorgeous.
     But I m beautiful.
     Because, I see beauty everywhere. I see beauty in the eyes of homeless person. I see beauty in people life who live in old age homes. I saw beauty in my mother, even though she never wears makeup, her glasses dating from early 90's, and can't be bothered reading magazines with the word "beauty" anywhere on the cover. She was gorgeous. 
     I am beautiful.
     I will never be a model, win  beauty pageant, or have my hands used in print ads. I will never be able to control my temper. I will never be able to get back those times which I spent in the warmth of my parents. I will never be able to complete my studies from where I left. As it turns out, beauty isn't to be found in the past or in the applause of an audience when you get the degree.
     But I am beautiful.
     Because I see beauty in the world. I see beauty in the dialysis patient who goes to hospital early hours of 6:00 a.m, all by themselves in the cab, in their wheel chair, nobody with them to drop or pick, EVERYDAY. I see beauty in those old age parents who wants their children back to take care of them. I see beauty in my Friend's smile, even though he/she seeks truth through isolation.
     I am beautiful.
     I know that on the outside I wouldn't stop traffic, but I also know that if you dig a little deeper you will strike gold. I feel beautiful because I see beauty everywhere. I see beauty in my children's smile. By seeing beauty even in unlikely places, I am able to see the beauty in me. By seeing the beauty in me, I can't help but smile. And when I smile:
     I am beautiful.