Beauty..

This morning I braved the cold and snow to put in a little jogging, running, walking, etc. time at my local rec center.   I was doing a 10 minute stint on the stair-stepper and watching joggers run the track when I noticed one woman in particular.  She looked Indian (not native American but the real deal from India.)  She was probably in her late 50's.  She wore her hair simply - pulled back in a low ponytail.  She had on old baggy pants and a baggy shirt.  Everything about her indicated a lack of worldly goods.  Yet a countenance of goodness shone from her face.  Her eyes looked wise and happy.  I found myself looking at her with envy.  She was free from the bonds of material possessions.  She was free from enslavement to the gods of fashion and style.  There was not one ounce of make-up on her beautiful, worn face.  I thought to myself, "She is a blessed woman."   

Walking about 20 ft. behind her was another woman probably in her late 60's.  Her silver hair was perfectly coiffured.  She wore stylish snug fitting jeans.  Her make-up was flawless.  She too looked like a nice woman but I didn't see the same sense of freedom and happiness in her countenance as I did the Indian woman.  There was some what of a cultural entrapment.  

I probably won't be throwing out my make-up and clothing but I did pause to think about the insignificance of some things that we give way too much time and importance to.   I thought of Mother Theresa' comment that real poverty, poverty of soul, exists in the wealthy west.  And I thought of true beauty, the beauty of spirit which isn't limited to wealth or social status.