Every woman is beautiful. Deep in the eyes of all women shines the hopeful expectancy of a young girl gazing up at her father with all the wonder, trust and love of the whole world sparkling. If you look past the hurt, past the fear, beyond the suspicion, yes, even through the hate, you will see her, fresh, smiling with the complete confidence and trust of an innocent child. Every woman is beautiful if you look with love.

The beauty is there, even in the eyes of the orphan, abandoned for reasons unknown by the ones who were to have given her love and care. She is still hopeful, still wanting to trust and to be loved. The beauty is still there.

The beauty is there, even in the eyes of the girl with body broken by the chance arrangement of chromosomes or by the act of man. She is still watching, looking, searching for the reason for faith, the strength to live. The beauty is still there.

The beauty is there, even in the eyes of the prisoner, incarcerated by steel or by hate. Buried deep within her is the want to cry, to shed tears on the shoulder of one who would protect, one who would carry her for a little while. Beyond the cold gaze is a spark of love begging to be allowed to spread into an inferno of hope, melting away the ice that encases her heart, and slagging off the anger that hides the gold of her soul. The beauty is there.

Why do we work so hard to snuff out the love of little girls? Why does our culture push them to learn to fear? My heart breaks when the beauty is buried so deep among the pain, hate and fear that I can barely make it out. Dear God! Help me to love properly so that the whole world will benefit from the beauty of the women in my life.

(c) Copyright 1997, Greg Sanders