Talking about beauty

I believe the most important aspects of feminine beauty are the inner qualities, qualities which, like fine wines or cheeses, grow fuller and richer over the years, and not the superficial features of shinning hair or smooth, glowing skin, features which fade away and mean nothing at all while they last if the person inside them lacks the inner beauty. The inner beauty of which I am speaking is that of the spirit. A woman is beautiful at any age if she knows how to feel another's pain and offer consultation. She is beautiful if she knows how to be gracious to all people no matter what they are like or how they differ from her, if she knows how to be hospitable and generous with what she has rather than worrying about what she does not have. She is an elegant woman if her inner dignity, which is based on integrity and honor, shines through her ages. She is lovely if she knows how to make those around her feel good to be alive, good about themselves, and valued just as they are. She is beautiful if her roots are nourished by love toward God, her family, her neighbors, and her fellow human beings, as long as she loves and delights in all of life and shares her joy with those around her.