Pretty Is As Pretty Does

My maternal grandmother had a remarkable cache of phrases, not unlike Forrest Gump's mama in the movie by the same name. As a child, I sometimes did not understand some of the things she said. But now that I am a grandmother myself, I totally get what she was trying to convey. And maybe sometimes she was saying random things just to be funny; maybe she had no idea what she actually meant.

But "pretty is as pretty does" is one I understood as a young girl. Now that I am what some might call a woman of a "certain age," I believe it even more true than ever. Almost all young people are beautiful. Full of life and vitality, dewy complexions, they are just cute. But that kind of beauty fades, and as people age, who they really are seems to shine through. There is nothing uglier than a bitter old person. And nothing more beautiful than one whose inner grace and joy is written all over the face. We can be both pretty on the outside and on the inside, through beautiful acts of kindness for others. Grandma would be pleased.

Susan