The beauty in kindness.

 Dearest Daughter,

I have not written to you in a long time now.

I know , you are young & want to take on the world. And you want all to like you. Yes, whenever we go to any place, there's feeling of insecurity which creeps in .That ,which makes us feel judged & scrutinized. I know that feeling. Believe me, when I say this.It persists even now. This feeling of the need to be accepted & admired.

You feel, that you should look gorgeous every time. Agreed , you should.And yet , make up is no solution to looking your best ! And cosmetic changes, the worst..

You are   beautiful by nature . You are kind & have a way with words which makes you witty. You are adored by so many ! And yet, you need cosmetics?


I have been reading & telling you that make up spoils your skin. I am alarmed,that you spend hours on make up .Your dad does not have the heart to refuse his princess, what she  demands. So ,I am left with the unenviable job of having to correct you .I trust, that you, will listen with an open mind.

Make up is harmful in more ways than one. The type of ingredients that are used are being utilized in industrial products.Obviously , they are rough & harsh.And should be never used on skin.They are carcinogenic as well.And the ingredients can cause allergies. Many people who used make up have learnt this, the hard way.

You argue,that you are using branded products. And yet, the best brands can cheat in the most subtle fashions ever  that would make the worst  brands seem like saints.And you, will end up feeling betrayed .

And yes, many brands use animals for testing the efficacy of the cosmetics that they produce.This is  beauty at its worst.Harming innocent lives so that humans look beautiful.And yet, beauty is only skin deep.And yes, please think & reflect on the media campaigns which run hyping the facts that no animals were harmed in the production of the stated products. Let us not be so naive & foolish.


Remember, true beauty is in being kind to  yourself & others.That is the  way to remain happy.That will reflect on your face.And you will look all the more beautiful.A true beauty ! Without make up.As the tag line for a brand went , make up that does not look made up !

I have always known, that you are pretty. And I keep falling in love with you, whenever , you treat the most ordinary people in your own special way. You talk to them in a natural manner, you hug them & smile at them,.And make them feel, that, they are on the same  wavelength as you. That is, what makes them feel wanted ! And .their feelings get reflected on your face.And makes you look radiant. This radiance lasts for ever.And gets better as you age. I am sure, you will exude more radiance , as you step into youth as you will become increasingly  kinder towards yourself & others.


Remember, that day when the maid servant 's tiny tot of a daughter visited us? You overwhelmed that tiny kid .And she was thrilled ! That was the umpteenth time ,I felt proud of you ! As you recall, I told you that day, that anyone who had seen you with the kid would have immediately fallen in love with you, not just once, but over & over again ! I still vividly recall, that moment of bliss !

I believe every woman has TRUE BEAUTY within her in all the roles she plays. For over 18 years across 650 plus salons across the country, Naturals has been helping the Beautiful Indian Woman get more Beautiful.

Today Naturals Salutes the Beautiful Indian Woman.

Presenting Naturals TRUE BEAUTY… http://bit.ly/naturalsOF 

I trust , you will use make up with the care & caution that your body deserves ! And make your world, a better place by being more affectionate towards others, even strangers ! Your natural beauty will then,  be ,a   source of everlasting joy in the truest sense  !

Much Love,

Your mom.

An eye for beauty !

My daughter is someone who likes all things beautiful.She  wants lovely shoes,pretty dresses,shiny clips,cute knick knacks etal. She has her way many a times, if not all the times.She goes for branded stuff & that too, has to be  grand !

My kid will whine & cajole us ,both me & hubby into lightening our pockets for things, which she wants.She is into gadgets as well.Even gadgets are dressed up.She has got a lovely cover for her I-pod.She does not mind changing it ...the cover that is ,every quarter as the bill is footed by us  ! Her dad has gifted her a new laptop & it is her most prized possession, till date.Of course ,she is dreaming of the I-Phone & the pretty covers that will go with it  !

School has lots of project works for my daughter.She decorates her charts with drawings of flowers,designs etc.All these are neatly made with felt pens.Even shiny tape is stuck  to mark the borders of the charts.So the charts look very  colourful & eye catching ! The result is, that she gets full marks for all her charts & projects ! Never mind, that I have started suspecting that the sales at the stationary shop downstairs, is booming because of  my daughter. Great to learn that economy is up, due to efforts of my daughter though unintended ! She made a doll house for her favourite Tinker bell ,some years back  by using waste material.




She spends a lot of time in front of the mirror looking at her face,her pimples,her hair ,her attires,etc.I have tried to make her understand that her inner beauty of helping others ,being kind & considerate is what is going to be valued more than her beauty .She is very helpful.She is a team player.She tutors her weaker classmates so that  they can also proudly stand up in class & speak.She asks all those come to our home for water, be it the postman ,the dhobi ,or anyone else.She is full of manners & extremely polite with others.Perhaps, when she looks at her reflection in the mirror, she is checking if her beauty is skin deep ? !


Her attires also have a lot of bling....shiny stars,sequin works & the like.She has recently  brought a pretty branded mug for drinking her daily beverage.Earlier,she got a customised mug made .I protested as it cost a bomb !

She has taken to athletics in a big way & how ! She has got many  pairs of shoes...a pair of sneakers,a pair of running shoes,a pair of basketball shoes ,a pair of spikes,....all shoes are classy  except that each pair  is priced  exorbitantly for sports goods manufacturers to survive ! Even branded shorts have been purchased- for athletes, must be  be resplendently   attired.I thank my stars, as there was sale, which made me cough up  a little less- the sale price was just short of a thousand !

My kid has taken to baking despite my protests.She presents the dishes photogenically.She even took up blogging...she has a photo blog teeming with snaps of flowers,birds ...the beauty of nature ! She is the family photographer & an expert on how to take snaps.She has given me umpteen tips on taking clicks of  dishes cooked up by me !

My daughter is very fussy about her food.She likes presentation in food which is sans variety.She will eat in lovely cutlery ! I abhor this as I end up washing cutlery for fear of getting it broken if it lands up in the hands of the maid.

 I try to be neatly dressed ...earlier I hardly used to care.I am forced to look presentable all thanks to nagging by my daughter.

Yet, in spite of all this ,my daughter has made me realise that you are As Beautiful As Your Work  ! After all, as the poet John Keats penned, "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever ".

This is my blog post entry for the Tanishq 'As Beautiful As Your Work ' contest on  Women's web .

Blog about women like Megha, in the Mia by Tanishq (advertisement ), who make their work beautiful ....by taking part in the Tanishq 'As Beautiful As Your Work ' on Women's web to win Tanishq gift vouchers ranging from Rs 5000/- to  Rs 30,000/-.

Soundarya

What is really beautiful ? So many things ,if you look around - babies,nature,someone's hair, someone's skin,a face,a sculpture,a painting ,a design ,a piece of jewellery,etal.Actually ,there are so many things -both animate & inanimate which are pretty, to simply keep staring at.But soundarya  is something else.

Nature is beautiful, as it is lovely to look, at its numerous features -the Sunrise,the Sunset,the meandering rivers,the snow clad mountains,the green meadows,the valley of flowers & so on & so forth.Nature is really beautiful, as it is our mother & takes care of us by giving us in abundance.When we go on destroying & exploiting it for our selfish ends,it gives vent to earthquakes,volcanoes, tsunamis ,cyclones & other natural disasters.

Human beings are beautiful basically .And as time passes ,one changes for better or for worse.Babies look lovely .They are curious & innocent.As babies grow up ,choices made, make them what they are.

A person may be beautiful in appearance .This alone cannot make up for bad habits or unhelpful nature.One must be positive in life.Then ,a smile  lights up the face & the person looks pretty.Similarly ,helping others does wonders to appearance .It brings a glow, which can be seen by all.Health also is a big asset in keeping us pretty .If we take good care of our well being by eating right ,our body reflects it & we look lovely.Exercises like aerobics, dancing,pilates,walking,etc can help us loose flab & build up endurance.Yoga & meditation make up for mental calmness.A cool & calm mentality looks young Hence,there is no need to go for botox,plastic surgery etal to do away with wrinkles

Make up & cosmetics can only enhance  assets like eyes,lips,skin,etc.Sometimes ,cosmetics may harm, as ingredients in the cosmetic may lead to allergies.Hence,one needs to be careful.It is preferable to use herbal products. Cosmetics cannot make a person look lovely -they can only  highlight the beauty of a person who is already good looking. Rekha,the actress used to apply  a big bindi on her forehead  & it  suited  her so well ! Rekha has also been practising yoga since long & she looks young, even after decades !

Cosmetics  used judiciously can also protect hair,skin,eyes,etc.In this also ,one can opt for products which are not tested on animals .This will be  soundarya , as this is beauty, without cruelty.

Remember to  check out Yahoo!Real Beauty @http://realbeauty.yahoo.com/ for some great ideas on real beauty.

The inner soundarya  of a person, is the soul of a person.Diamonds are  very beautiful & hard.Similarly, some may be very pretty & hard to please.Such people cannot be called beautiful.They will harm others & bring many to grief.Celebrities, who endorse fur, are cruel to animals.We must make our thoughts beautiful  & this will show on our faces.One who is truly beautiful is one, who has the ability to bounce back after a debacle & get on with life.Such an inspiring spirit, is really pretty & needs to be emulated.

People who are spiritually inclined, are indeed really beautiful as they aspire for peace & calm.This calmness also reflects on their faces & they look serene.People who help others,are unselfish & kind to one &  all are really pretty.That is why, soundarya or real beauty, is a perennial source of joy !

This blog post is my entry for the YAHOO DOVE REAL BEAUTY contest.



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