Beauty: Holly's Perspective

I would just like to introduce you to a friend, and household sister, of mine. I mentioned her in the last post about the seniors, so you may remember her. I find SO much beauty in this woman. I am continually reminded of this in every conversation I have with her. I have a running joke in my household about how I want to be her. (I may or may not have pulled several pranks regarding this... ;)) But in reality, I am just so inspired by her. There are so many adjectives I could use to describe her... wise... beautiful... faithful... but I think you would get a much clearer picture based on the interview I had with her this evening. I hope you are able to get a glimpse of her beautiful heart through this. 

Me: If you could be an expert at anything, what would it be? 

Holly: Gardener! I would love how to know how to garden really well, but I just don't.

Me: What is your definition of beauty? 

Holly: The Blessed Mother. We try to emulate Mary the Mystical rose, and she is the most beautiful flower in God's creation because she is constantly turning towards the Son. She says she magnifies the Lord, and anytime I see anything beautiful I like to see it as magnifying the Lord...The people I see as most beautiful in my life are those I see Jesus in, whether it's in their demeanor or what they do. 

Me: Who is someone you see as truly beautiful and what makes them so? 

Holly: Ann Hoover, my little sister in household, because in her life she lives out a total gift of self. You can just tell that even when she's not doing something which would be perceived as religious or spiritual, she is pursuing God. She is so beautiful inside and out. She is so gentle and kind...she is so physically beautiful, but I think a big part of that is she is so beautiful on the inside. 

Me: What do you think it takes to be a person of depth? 

Holly: To be a person of depth I think first we have to move beyond ourselves and realize that the world is not about us. I know on the forefront we all know, but on the inside we all struggle with it. When we move beyond that and reality that it's all about Him and others, is when I can be a person of depth. 

Me: What is one way you see beauty in those around you? 

Holly: I don't always remember to do this, but if I could remember to see people's hearts and souls.

Me: What is one way you see beauty in yourself? 

Holly: I see beauty in myself in that God finds me worth pursuing, even when I run away from Him and even when I don't see that in myself. That He STILL sees that I am worth pursuing. If He sees me as worthy of pursuit, than I must be beautiful. Beauty is a manifestation of goodness, then there must be goodness in me. 

Me: If you had a chance to combat one lie that women believe today, what would it be and how would you go about it? 

Holly: The lie that you're not enough and that no one would ever love you as you are. I try to combat it by uplifting people where they're at. Letting friends, family, people I encounter know that they are loved by me. If they can experience love from a person than maybe they can come to a greater understanding that God loves them, too. 

Me: What do you do to speak truth to the lies in your own life? 

Holly: By trying to recognize where that lie stems from...that way you can root it out, and not only that, but have God root it out. I ask God to tell me who I am. Someone once told me that, "if you don't let God tell you who you are, then Satan will tell you who you're not." 

Me: If you could say one statement to all the women in the world today collectively, what would it be? 

Holly: Everybody has had terrible things happen to them in their lives, and everyone has done things that they regret, but those wounds and those lies that you believed and the things that you've done don't have to be who you are. You are good and you are beautiful and you are made for love. Just because those things happened, they don't have to define you anymore because Christ makes us new. 

Me: What is the most important value or virtue for a person to have in your eyes? 

Holly: Profound humility because humility is the root of all other virtue. So go big or go home...True humility is realizing how God sees you - no more, no less. 

I hope this gave you a glimpse into the beautiful friend and sister I have in Holly. I am so grateful for her presence in my life. :) 

Our Lady Rosa Mystica, pray for us.