A Part Of Us

I have an embarrassing confession to make. 

At the risk of being canceled, I need to share that there is a little bit of W.C. Fields in me! The part I’m referring to concerns small children and dogs.

Don’t get me wrong. I like animals. Cats are my favorite. A cat will walk into a room full of people and jump up into the lap of the one person who hates him. How can anyone not admire such dedication to friendship?

Dogs, on the other hand, have a bad habit of putting their nose where it doesn’t belong and leaving a slimy drool. Not an attractive look for a heavier man.

Anyway, it’s not my intent to write about animals this week. Instead, I want to focus on small children.

Most people value honesty, and in fact, when asked, most people claim that they always tell the truth.

That is complete B.S.  

One can test this out by showing them the picture of a baby. 

Let’s be perfectly honest. Newborn babies are not cute! Generally speaking, they are wrinkly, peeling, and red. If they are blessed with hair, it looks like a cheap toupee. 

Search your soul, and I am sure you will agree with this universal truth.

That is unless we are talking about our Granddaughter! 

Before Adalyn’s birth, I had never seen a beautiful newborn. I guess there is an exception to every rule. As proof, here is a picture of her when she was four days old:

Right? 

Most of my posts are of a philosophical nature, so as not to disappoint, here is a question:

Is Adalyn truly an exception to the homely baby rule, or are we deceived because she is our Granddaughter?

Plato would argue that beauty is a subjective aesthetic, something in the “eye of the beholder.” As such, an objective universal claim to beauty is not possible.

I think there is a more straightforward answer. In fact, the answer is engraved on the inside of M.J. and my wedding bands:

“All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”

Beauty is found when we open our hearts and allow someone or something in. 

In truth, beauty is everywhere; in nature, in a smile, maybe even in an enemy.

The proof is, as they say, “in the pudding.” To see beauty, we must allow the “other” to become a part of us!

Reflecting on this claim, I am reminded of the wise words of a good friend. Whenever we fail to see the beauty in the world, the answer is simple:

“For this, I blame, myself!”

Perhaps beauty is more of a connection than an aesthetic. 

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

What could be more beautiful?

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