Monday, March 19, 2012

On Being Ugly

Pretty is, as Pretty does.

So does Ugly.

I have come across a slew
a generous amount
a very sad heap
of Ugliness
lately.
I have been feeling
Ugly.

I have been
feeling
the ugliness
of
others,
the inner
anger
disappointment
sadness
unhappiness
and even
vengeance
of people who
are truly, deeply
without a doubt
riddled with 
inner ugliness.

And no,
they are not even being ugly to me.
I am not the target of their ugliness.
I am an observer.
I encounter them
in the lives
of people I love.

I had a wonderful, gracious mother
who, upon hearing me
speak badly of someone else
spout off a sarcastic remark
or belittle another person,
would simply say,
"Rebecca. Don't be ugly."
I'd joke in response and add,
"Uh, Mom. This is the only face I've got.
I'm doing the best I can..."
She'd sigh and shake her head.

Ugly is not a commonly-used word.
It's certainly not a polite term to use
in describing someone.
But
it's there.
They are there.
Women
Men
even some children
who are, for lack of a more delicate word...
ugly.

They are ready to fight,
claim their rights
complain
spout off
attack
mistreat
take another person down
destroy and reject...

because
of 
something
going on,
in 
their
insides.


We see the world
and react
out of
what is done to us,
in and through
our relationships
our work
our disappointments
our weaknesses
the way we are treated
and
everything else.
It's all based on
what 
is
inside
of us.

It's the "Glass Half Empty" Syndrome.
But it's our hearts, not a glass.

It's our past...
our hurts
our previous chapters
our broken this-and-thats
our neglected souls
our abandoned dreams
our 
disenchanted realities
unrealized hopes
unmet needs
and
drained expectations,
which siphon
our hearts
and leave us 
half
empty.

Which we
allow
to leave us
half empty.

We do have the power,
We are capable of holding on
to what is in our hearts.
We do have something else
that helps us retain,
even increase
what is in our hearts.
We are all equipped with stoppers
corks
and
plugs
to patch the holes,
stop the leaks
and keep our
hearts...
our selves.
Our peace.

Plain and simple.
Straight forward.
Blunt as I can make it...

forgive.

Forgiveness keeps our glass,
our hearts
Half-Full-and-Getting Fuller.
Forgiveness
Letting Go
Moving On
Accepting
Releasing
Loving
Allowing Change
Breathing in, Hope
Choosing Grace
Showing Mercy.

These
are
Beauty.
These are what
bolster my spirit
make me whole
set me free
strengthen my response
tenderize my words
light my countenance
and
manifest as beauty within.

These are the eyes
with which I want to view the world
the people I meet
the friends who disappoint me
those who hurt me 
and let me down
or weave themselves into my life,
taking what they want
spewing venom
delivering a cold shoulder
tossing judgements
withholding love
ignoring me or
spreading half-truths,
while
claiming righteousness
vindication
or justice.

I really don't want to be ugly.
I want to be lovely.
Lovely is even better than Beautiful.
Loveliness expresses herself in:
kindness
understanding
patience
compassion
strength
confidence
gentleness
dignity
and

class.

Yes,
Beauty is often only skin deep
and
Ugliness screams from the core of our hearts,
but
Loveliness....
Loveliness 
edifies
refreshes
smoothes and softens
harsh encounters with Half-Empty People,
with hurt and broken hearts,
who haven't yet learned to forgive and release
the past 
which drains them of their beauty and joy.

Today
and tomorrow,
and hopefully
even when I'm old and wrinkly,
won't 
be 
ugly.

It's really just a choice.
I choose to do what 
I need to do
what I must do
what I can do,
to forgive
Now.
So I won't
ever
end up
Ugly.

I simply refuse to be ugly.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Love the One You're With

I've been thinking (again)
and feeling (again)
and choosing (again and again)
to love.

I am not one who has ever been closed
to love...
resisted
love...
avoided
love...
or given up on

love.

I have known all of my life,
that I am one who
deeply, deeply, deeply
needs love
thrives on love
seeks love
and basks in love.

I am one who needs love.
Needs to be loved
Needs to feel love
Needs to
give...

love.

And by love,
I mean
all
kinds
of love.

My connection to love,
my need for love
doesn't stem from starvation
or longing
or neglect
or emptiness
or having gone
without
or a lacking
within.

Love draws me in
calls to me
stirs inside
spurs me on
inspires
motivates
and moves
because...
because I am loved
I have always known love.

I have been loved by
loved on
loved through
loved openly
loved unconditionally
loved beyond
loved in spite of....
every
day
of my life.

Every, single day of my life,
I have known love
The Love of my God
The love of my parents
The love of my family
and friends.

I have lived a life of love.
Lived it.
Known it.
Experienced it.
Tasted and savored it.

And so,
I love.
I love...

And yet,
I have been finding myself needing
wanting
desiring
to increase
my
capacity
to love.

I know I am
(dare I say, we are)
capable of
so
much
more
Love
than we ever give.

I can love my children better.
I can choose to sit with them
and listen.
Really listen
to them.
I can stop.
Change what I am doing.
Check the tone of my voice.
Breathe in the scent of their hair after a bath
Search their snaggle-toothed smiles
Hold their dimple-knuckled hands
and love them.
I can tell them what I see that is good and growing
in them
and love them...more.
With more words of encouragement,
noticing them
watching them
speaking kindness to them.
Loving
Them....
who they are
what they feel
how they express themselves
in hurt
or anger
or dreams
or fears
or stories
or frustration
or questions.

I can love
my friends
my family
strangers in line at a store
acquaintances at a softball game
neighbors
co-workers
bosses
everyone

better.

I can be more loving.
I can be the best part of their day.
I can be the touch of love they need
the smile they didn't expect
the eyes that noticed them...
really saw them,
the laugh they didn't know was in their gut.

I know I am called to change the world
I know I can give my money away
I know I can take on projects
I know I can volunteer
I know I can serve
I know I can stand up and make a point
I know I can become more politically active
I know I can undertake some grand pledge
or make a noble sacrifice
or join a cause
or share a passion for justice
or gain attention for
things I do for Him
or in His name
or for His Kingdom
I know I can gain glory for
acts of courage
or
convincing speeches
or grand sermons
or demands for change and equality

but

now
today
so far,
lately
honestly
I am looking at me
and wanting
to
love

more.

I am wanting
needing
deciding
looking
for
love.

Ways to
tenderly
quietly
softly
sweetly
gently

love.

When I am gone
when I have finished this life
when my life is complete
I want people to say of me...

She loved me.
I want them to know
they were loved
by me.