Do You See Her Beauty?

She was found, on the side of the road; a tag sale discard. As soon as I saw her laying on top of a box of books, I saw her beauty. On the way home, I thought “Uh Oh....was she really worth picking up”? Her hair is crumpled, her dress is torn, there are big holes in her veil. And yet, for some unknown reason, I still thought she was beautiful.

Once home, I shared my new treasure with the family explaining “I know she's not in good condition, but for some reason I really like her”. Thank goodness they know who I really am, and they have come to understand and accept (and sometimes see the beauty) in the eclectic treasures I find. Sadly, she was put on a table and left laying there for a few weeks. Every time I caught a glimpse of her, I thought “What am I going to do with her”? “Why did I pick her up”? I thought maybe I could use her as a decoration for Angie's Bridal Shower, but then wondered what people would think about the disarray she was in. Yet, I was still drawn to her. Eventually she made it up the two flights of stairs to our “attic suite”, and stood on a chair by the window, for another few weeks.

Today, I sat in the chair by the window, put “her” on the side table and looked out the window. I was thankful for the beautiful summer day we were blessed with. Mindfully in this beautiful moment, I turned and saw “her”; I picked her up. Her dress was buttoned crookedly, there are gaping holes in her veil, the lace trim is coming apart on the sleeves, the “under netting” of the dress is safety pinned in the back to hold it up, the necklace she is wearing is definitely not original or wedding appropriate, her hair is crumpled.

Then, mindfully, I examined “her” a little more closely. “Her” eyes are a beautiful, sparkling blue; her lipstick and rouge are stately, but subtle. “Her” earrings dangle delicately beneath her lobes. I hold “her” wedding gown out to the side, as if playing and imagining me in this gown. Then I realized what “her” beauty is and why I have been so drawn to “her”, why “she” “spoke” to me. A smile came to my lips.

Once upon a time, a little girl held this Bride in her tiny little hands and imagined herself in this gown. “She” was played with apparently a lot, as shown by her condition. I turned her over, fixed her buttons, and saw where the button holes were torn a bit. Again, I smiled because I thought of a little girl unbuttoning and buttoning this dress many times over as she dreamed of her own wedding day. I started to realize why I saw “Her” as beautiful. While writing this story, she lies here beside me, and I wondered what I would have named her when I was little; June came to my mind immediately (funny thing, Angie's wedding is in June!). Here is June, a well-loved Bride (doll) who's beauty shines from love.