What's it all about?

When a lover, partner, friend or family member tells us that we are beautiful, most people seem disinclined to believe it. We tell ourselves that they HAVE to say that. It's harder to disbelieve when a complete stranger, with no sense of obligation, or ulterior motive, tells us that we're beautiful. And from a stranger, it's one of the simplest, and most powerful compliments we can receive.

Every day, we see people who are beautiful. Normal people on the bus, at the corner store, passing us by in the street. Normal people who will never grace the cover of Vogue magazine, but who are beautiful nonetheless. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone is beautiful to someone else.

About a year ago, I was on the train on my way home from work, and three women joined my carriage, and sat opposite me. They were dressed up, and clearly on their way to an evening out. The lady in the middle was beautiful. Gorgeous even. She was curvacious, with a smooth perfect complexion, thick shiny hair, warm brown eyes, luscious full lips and a smile that lit up the dark evening. She was tall, and stylishly dressed. I glanced up from my book when they sat down and then found my eyes straying back up to peek at her again and again. I couldn't focus on the page in front of me at all. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation, and I was dismayed to hear her make self-denigrating comments. Seeing as I couldn't concentrate on my book anyway, I started rummaging in my handbag for a piece of paper, and eventually I tore out the blank back page of my novel. On it I wrote "I'm far too shy to say this directly, but I just wanted to let you know that I think you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen". I folded the note in half and shoved my book into my bag as the train slowed down into my station. As I got up to disembark, I held the note out to her, mumbling "this is for you" and then dashed through the doors. I worried that it might seem creepy, or just plain weird, and I have no idea how she reacted. But I thought to myself, "if a complete stranger, with no investment, handed me that note, I'd be flattered", and hoped that she felt the same.

Since then, I have handed out many hastily scribbled notes to beautiful people. The girl with the blue hair, the older lady with the bright red coat, the young guy who jumped up from his seat to help an elderly lady carry her shopping onto the crowded bus and stood for the next 20 minutes so that she could have a seat. I would love to be brave enough to tell people to their face, but I am a shy soul and prone to stammering and mumbling when talking to strangers, so mostly I don't know how people respond. There have been a couple of times though when the recipient of my note has been quick enough to smile at me, and thank me - with a sense of bemusement, sure, but they smiled. I felt wonderful for having made a stranger smile, even if only for a moment. I also like the idea of people having a note that they can choose to keep or throw away. If it touches them, they have a permanent reminder that someone with no obligation or ulterior motive thinks they're beautiful.

Lately I've been thinking that it would be wonderful if more people could take the time to tell someone they're beautiful. So I am starting this blog, with the hope that it will spread. Stay tuned for more details.

I think you're beautiful. Yes, you.