Beautiful (long)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/15/2000 12:28:13 AM Eastern Standard Time,

Judyh1022@... writes:

<< And I was glad for you to, even if I was out of it. I don't remember

anyone

else's face, it seems like there were so many people all at once, but I saw

your face, Gwen. Only yours. And I thought, How Beautiful she is!! I am

neither a liar, nor an exaggerator, nor " nice " . That is truly what I

thought! What a knockout you're gonna be! Sheesh. Look out Durham! Jude

>>

Jude,

Thank you for the compliment. I have heard " You've got such a pretty face, "

so many times. I know you are genuine and I am happy that you think so. My

godmother told me the same thing. She said that when I lose weight, I'll be

turning heads left and right. That does wonders for your self esteem.

But I realize that true beauty is not on the outside appearance but in your

heart. There are many on this list who arent supermodel size but have hearts

of pure gold. It made me think of the poem I love. I'd like to share it

with you all. Its kinda long but worth it.

Gwen in Durham

She Was Not Beautiful

She was not beautiful.

Nothing about her was extraordinary.

Nothing about her made her stand out in a crowd.

She grew up in a family of six and

being the eldest she learned responsibility at an early age.

As she grew stronger and brighter,

she instilled a sort of light and cheer to whomever she met.

She was not beautiful,

but she made others feel better about themselves.

She meets a rebel boy who thinks he is all man.

She befriends him and she teaches him.

She teaches him how to read and gives

the little boost, the " man " needed to go to college.

They become fast friends and she fell fast in love with her rugged handsome

student.

The " man " then finds himself in love with a girl.

A girl who was so beautiful.

Her hair was a hallow of light around her.

Her eyes the bluest blue of the ocean.

" Like an angel " he tells his tutor.

" Like a beautiful angel. "

The girl swallows a lump at her throat

She was not beautiful.

She did not posses the heart of the one she loved,

but she did not care.

As long as he was happy, she would be happy,

or so she tried to.

She helped write the most beautiful letters to his angel.

All the time envisioning it was she herself receiving those very letters.

And so the girl helped him choose the right clothes,

say the right words,

and buy the right gifts for his angel.

His angel brought him much joy

and much pain to the girl who cried behind her smiles.

But that never stopped her from giving more than she will ever receive.

Then one day, all of h--- broke loose.

The angel he loved left him for another man.

A richer more successful man.

The boy was stunned.

He was so hurt, he did not speak for days.

The girl went to him.

He cried on her shoulder and she cried with him.

He was hurt and she was too.

Time went by and so wounds heal.

The boy realizes something about his friend/tutor.

Something he never realized before.

How her laughter sounded heavenly and

how her smiles brightened up the darkest days,

or how simply beautiful she looked to him!

Beautiful. This plain, simple girl was beautiful to him.

And he began to fall.

Fall so in love with this beautiful girl.

On one day, he picked up all his courage to see her.

He walked to her house, nervous, and fidgeting,

Running his thoughts over and over his head.

He was going to tell her how beautiful she was to him.

He was going to tell her how wonderfully in love he was with her.

He knocked. No one was home.

The next day, he found out that the beautiful girl that he fell in love with

had a brain tumor that put her into a coma.

The doctors were grim and the family decided to let her go.

One final time he got to see her.

He held her hand.

He stroked her hair and

he cried for this beautiful girl.

He cried, but it was too late.

The beautiful girl was buried and the heavens broke.

Out came a beautiful spring shower, a cry for their loss.

She was the most beautiful girl in the world and

she had taught the rebel boy-man to love and

what it is to be loved.

She was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Look around. Aren't there a lot of plain faces?

Take a good look. A real good look,

or you might just miss out that beautiful person.

Forever.