share | The Village Granny

I’ve never felt particularly beautiful – maybe cute, but beautiful? No, not really.

What would I look like if I were beautiful? I can’t even imagine! Maybe higher cheek bones. Maybe bigger eyes. Maybe fuller lips. Maybe thicker hair. I don’t know. Maybe all that and more. Maybe none of that would make any difference. I really don’t know. I’m really not sure what physical beauty is, to be truthful.

I know when I see a beautiful view, as a towering mountain or a charming valley or the ocean or an autumn forest. You know, things like that. We know beauty when we see it in nature – it’s obvious.

And how beautiful are the smells, textures and colors of the multitudes of flowers, trees and greenery found in our world? Nothing can compare with the flora around us and available for our enjoyment at any moment. Beauty surrounds us on so many levels and in so many ways.

Cute baby animals are beautiful. All of them. Well, there are a few exceptions, but pretty much a baby anything is adorable and has a beauty all its own. We are drawn to them. We must touch them. We must make eye contact and make them smile. Their beauty is captivating.

Then think of the manmade beauty found in art, music, crafts, construction, sports, sewing, quilting. Think about the beauty of adventuring into the air, the water, the earth and the human body and how much skill that takes.

There’s beauty in any skill that can be honed to a magnificent degree and be used for the good of others. I’m thinking of doctors, engineers, Pastors, pilots, police, mechanics, teachers, dancers, etc. All we have to do is look tor the beauty in each person with their beautiful talent.

There are people with maybe no physical beauty, but radiate a beauty from within that can’t be ignored. It’s like a bright light that can’t be put out. It shines on everything around it and makes everything it touches look beautiful. The person spreads joy, happiness, confidence and truth.

Spreading beauty!!! Now that’s a skill to be admired!!!

I remember my mother telling me, “You’d be surprised how good looking a kind man becomes.” And I have found that to be true throughout my life. Kind, generous, giving people have a beauty that can’t be denied. I think it’s their eyes which see only the good in others. Or maybe it’s their mouths which speak only kind soft words. Or maybe it’s their hands which touch only in care and safety. It must be their hearts which are true and loving.

All I know is there is beauty all around, inside, outside, up, down, here, there, everywhere.

See it!!!

Smell it!!!

Hear it!!!

Feel it!!!

Share it!!!

Gramps and I are on the road, headed for Arizona to visit our niece,her husband and our “spiritual” grandchildren x 6. Our rental car is packed to the roof with Christmas gifts for young and old. Yes, I know Christmas was 6 days ago, but what’s a day? Or two? Or more?

We have never had Christmas with this special family since we became honorary Dad/Mom and Gramps/Granny. They weren’t able to come to our house for the holiday, so . . . . logic says we take Christmas to them. Even though we had Christmas with the other children and grandchildren on the designated, accepted day, we still wanted to take Christmas to Arizona.

So here we are on December 31 celebrating Christmas away from home with our “new” daughter, son-in-law and 5 of the 6 “new” grandkids. And you know what? It feels exactly like Christmas did last week!

What is Christmas after all? It’s just a day. If you can’t enjoy the actual day, pick another. It will work just as well. Or do as we have done . . . . rejoice 2 or 3 times over. How fun is that?

I have a very special memory from my childhood of the year we had 2 Christmases. According to my parents, Santa had forgotten to stop at our house and was coming back to deliver our gifts. The 3 of us children bought this story completely and were excited beyond belief that Santa would do such a thing for us. We were treated like royalty at school! No one else had ever gotten such special treatment from Santa. All the kids thought we 3 had an inside link to the bearded man! It wasn’t until I was an adult that I figured out why this all happened . . . . my parents couldn’t afford Christmas and had to wait for the after-Christmas sales to get our gifts. Can you imagine how hard this was for them and yet they were able to make it into one of the best memories for us. That was the true gift we all got that year and none of us have ever forgotten. We “kids”, all in our 60’s, still talk about the year we had 2 Christmases as one of the best ever.

A true Christmas can happen any day, any where, with or without wrapped presents. The love, the sharing, the giving cannot be put in a box with a bow. Although I’m not discounting the thrill of opening a present, big or little, given with thought and creativity.

This “2nd” Christmas has everything the first one had last week . . . . family, laughter, surprises, thank yous, piles of wrapping paper,lost little plastic men, good food, shared music, rowdy boys, exhausted adults. The only things different are one squealing, giggly little girl (the only granddaughter) and the neighbors here are watching reruns and eating mac and cheese. I think we are definitely having more fun! Maybe every year should have 2 Christmases!