{real} beauty: Silver
Thinking about this post, and the responses to it, I began searching my soul even more for what true beauty is. What *I* think beauty is.
What makes a woman beautiful and appealing?
- Wisdom
- Compassion
- Joy
- Selflessness
- Smarts
- The ability to laugh at herself
- A woman who can be, not only comfortable in her own skin, but own it and love it.
And gray hair.
I've got a few.
Do you?
I look at those hairs as a badge of my growth and maturity in life.
And right now, at this stage in my life, I'm not covering them up… nor do I want to. I actually find them quite beautiful and like to search them out in the mirror.
Gray hair – women who "rock" their grays – that is beauty to me.
Woman with gray hair always appear authentic and confident.
And those two qualities are beauty in my eyes.
{two ladies from my Mom's church}
{Paula Dean}
{Emmy Lou Harris}
In the coming days I'll be sharing more about my definition of {real} beauty.
What is yours?
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Comments on {real} beauty: Silver
Nice post! After 1 year of marriage I found my "first Gray hair" weird thing I pulled it out to "have a better look at it" and was kinda exited, I taught new baby (Rebekah was about 2.5 month) new season of life etc…
But to my surprise that was the only gray hair that I had since, and that was 4 years ago!!!! Some people say that I look younger then I did before I got married, So married life is a fountain of youth or maybe is running after our little ones and getting preggo all the time LOL.
But seriously I love gray hair, It's just look so sophisticated and mature.
Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.
Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.
I just love those to verses to just have a reminder that God fearfully and wonderfully made us. In a society where eternal youth is the goal and what people strive for, these verses are so counter cultural.
Renee´s last blog ..Babysitter
@Renee:
Wow, LOVE the Bible versus about gray hair! Thanks for sharing those with us.
Nell
Loving who you are. That's my first tip. I adore gray hair, especially salt and pepper. My mom has beautiful salt and pepper hair, she's had it since her early twenties. I'm kinda sad I haven't gotten any yet….oh well.
But all women are beautiful in some way.
You absolutely nailed it, especially the confidence. I don't have any grays yet, but I plan to embrace them when they come.
Jessi´s last blog ..Day 64 of 365
@Mrs Soup:
Oooooooh – loving who you are! Good one.
Nell
@Jessi:
My Grandma had the best salt and pepper hair for the longest time. She is now blond. I much, much preferred the natural. I hope to love it if that becomes my look as I age.
Nell
Confidence in yourself is a huge thing of beauty to me. You can tell the difference between a woman who is confident and one who is not. Attitude also has a huge part of the beauty of a person as well. You can be the most drop dead gorgeous woman ever, but if you are a snobby B….well then you aren' t very beautiful.
domestic extraordinaire´s last blog ..You Capture-Hopeful
@domestic extraordinaire:
Confidence… yes. Hopefully I'll get more of that the older I get!
Nell
Oh and I also forgot this verse
Prov 31: 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
That is true beauty right there. God's words on the subject of true beauty and aging is amazing isn't it!
Like seriously, God's is the creator of beauty and we with our sinful nature have a hard time wrapping our mind on what true beauty really is!
We are made in His image and He said "And it was good" God made you and said "Nell I created you and it is good"
Renee´s last blog ..25 weeks and counting
I have full on gray streaks and I am totally aiming for the Emmy Lou look someday!
Madeline´s last blog ..Oh. My.
@Madeline:
I *heart* your hair, Madeline!
Nell
@Renee:
awww – yes He did. He said that with all of us!
Nell
i second much of your list, Nell, especially the part about not taking yourself too seriously. when we married, my husband said the part of Proverbs 31 that had always spoken to him was the description "she laughs at the days to come … "
i think a woman who is so God-soaked that she can choose (and it is a choice, though a hard one to execute) to rise above fears about aging, anxiety over not meeting our shallow society's standards, and confusion about the skin deep versus the real … that's a beautiful woman.
p.s. personally not there yet, but maybe it will be my gift to him for our 50th wedding anniversary
keLi´s last blog ..How a Belly Bulge Creates Hunger …
I have always been at a loss for why peopl fret over getting old and grey. I always looked at getting older just as you said. It is with age that wisdom and appreciation for life comes. Some people like to tell me that i only think this way because i am in my early 20s but i like to think i will always feel this way.
Courtney@ChaosIsUs´s last blog ..My Boys
@keLi:
That is a beautiful thought… giving him that on your 50th!
Nell
@Courtney@ChaosIsUs:
I do think, for me anyway, that things change the older you get. Older becomes a reality when you're in your older years, vs in your 20's. So some things that I didn't think would bother me, do. While others I embrace.
Nell
I love your tribute to the internal qualities that make women beautiful. Are you familiar with Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty? I always enjoy their commercials and print ad's with beautiful women of many shapes and sizes.
Kristen @ Motherese´s last blog ..Commenting on Comments and Thanking Those Who Do
Those two ladies from your mom's church? Gorgeous!
I get so frustrated that our society's definition of beauty is so intertwined with youth. In fact, our family had professional photographs taken recently and the photography "smoothed out" my wrinkles in Photoshop before printing the photos. I was, actually, appalled. I think my wrinkles are proof of living and loving and laughter and tears.
That is all.
Stephanie´s last blog ..Couches {a writing exercise}