As an international journalist, I have traveled to a lot of places and have met and interviewed people from many parts of the world. One common denominator that nearly all of them have shared is an appreciation for beauty. The beauty people seek takes shape in many forms – art, architecture, mountains, deserts, tropical islands and physical.
Not long ago, an attractive woman, a native of the South Pacific, visited our church. She was tall, slender, with waist-length hair, and possessed all the beauty made famous by the Royal Polynesians.
What struck me and the other members of the congregation, aside from her striking physical beauty, was the inner spiritual beauty that formed an integral part of her.
She was part of a missionary movement and along with other members of her team, was visiting our city to gain volunteers and financial support for a mission on one of the Hawaiian Islands. Three Christian musicians – two men and a woman – who were also members of the Royal Polynesian family accompanied her.
Before Leilani delivered her message, the musical trio played and sang songs from the islands. Their words and music were so beautiful, for a little while you were transported to a place where tropical winds blew and you could hear the sounds of ocean waves crashing on the surf.
Leilani's talk focused on the work of the church, their need for volunteers and money, and their hopes for the future. Then she smiled and delivered her formula for staying beautiful.
“People seem to think beauty is all physical,” she said. “Even though we have many beautiful people in Hawaii, Tahiti and the other islands, beauty is much more than skin deep, as I am sure most of you realize.
“With the help of some of my Christian brothers and sisters, I have come up with a formula for staying beautiful all of your life. Some of you may have heard of some of these tips from another source – I am not claiming all of this is totally original. But I think it bears repeating even if some of these tips have been around for a while.
“Here are the tips:
“If you girls want attractive lips, speak a word of kindness to the next person you meet. That goes for the older women as well.
“For lovely eyes – and the women of the South Pacific do have lovely eyes – seek out the company of good people.
“For a slim figure, which all women want, share your food.” The congregation broke into applause, nods and smiles.
“For beautiful hair, let a child run its fingers through it at least once a day.
“For poise, walk with the knowledge that you will never walk alone. Christ is always at your side, even in the darkest moments.
“And remember – if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of your arm. The older we grow, the more we discover that we have two hands – one for helping ourselves, the other for helping others.”
If anybody can come up with a better formula for staying beautiful all the days of your life without plastic surgery, send it to me. I'd like to hear it.
Geno Lawrenzi, Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author, ghostwriter, humorist and lecturer who lives in Springfield, Missouri. (Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).