This week is going to be about beauty. Back in February, I interviewed some friends of mine about their thoughts on beauty, intending to use them as part of a series then. With everything that was going on then, I never used them, and I figured now would be a great time. So, over the next few days, you’ll be hearing from some amazing friends of mine about their views on beauty.
Today, you’ll hear from my amazing friend McKenna, who is a Communications student at the University of Portland. She’s beautiful, and this is what she had to say about beauty.
What does the word “beauty” mean to you?
Beauty is everything God has created. Beauty is the wind in the trees, the sound of rain on a rooftop, the laugh lines of someone’s face. Beauty is seeing something for what it is. Beauty is personal perspective; it is not a label that the world has placed upon something. Many people say beauty is on the inside, but it’s also on the outside too. God created your ins and outs- beauty is all that you are, not just one part of you.
What’s your first memory of understanding beauty?
Understanding true beauty was lying under the stars at camp one summer night. I just remember being in awe. I thought about how much life had brought me, how many tears and smiles defined my face, how many conversations changed my perspective in one way or another. I thought about how God had brought all of that- and they are all situations of beauty because His hand was in it.
But I discovered I was beautiful this past year. That took a lot of thoughts that I wasn’t used to- thoughts of positivity, thoughts of self-love,thoughts of worthiness. But I am beautiful, because God created me.
What do you know about beauty now that you didn’t know when you were in your teens/early twenties?
I learned that everyone is beautiful. It’s just a fact of life, it has no argument attached to it- you were created by God, therefore you are beautiful: full of beauty.
What do you wish you could change about the way beauty is portrayed?
I wish people would stop thinking that pretty and attractive equals beautiful. I wish beauty wasn’t measured by Facebook or Instagram likes.
I wish beauty wasn’t such a huge part of our society.
If you could tell your younger self one thing about beauty, what would you say?
You’re beautiful, little one! Believe that with all your heart, even when your appearance isn’t good enough for those boys or when your family tries to pressure you into bettering the number on the scale. Just wait and see how your life unfolds, and you will see how God reveals to you what true beauty is.
Anything else you’d like to say about beauty?
I think beauty is a really hard concept, and I don’t know if I’ve explained my perspective well. On one hand, beauty is just a noun. It’s a concept that has been brought forth. On the other hand, beauty is the heartbeat of our culture and constantly running through the back of our minds. I think if someone to ask if I thought I was beautiful, I would automatically assume that they were asking if I thought I was pretty or if I thought my personality was attractive; I would miss the point. Of course I am beautiful, and of course you are beautiful- God created you and me.
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