Authentic Beauty
The Shaping of a Set-Apart Young Woman
“Authentic beauty may very well be one of the rarest earthly treasures today. It holds a magnetism far beyond the loveliness of a properly painted face, and it possesses a charm that towers over the enchanting grace of a sweet personality. It is not ever to be discovered in the pomp and polish of higher society, nor in the silk and satin of those conformed to the popular culture. Rather, it emerges only rarely in each generation, and that in the life of a young woman – a young woman who is deeply loved by the Prince of her soul.”
Chapter One
The erosion of a feminine dream
It happened when I was six. Somewhere between my encounter with the breathtaking heroine in Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and my introduction to Malibu Barbie (who came complete with five evening gowns and a hot pink convertible), I made my decision. Somewhere between watching the lovely Sugarplum Fairy twirling around on stage during a local production of the Nutcracker and trying on my mother’s satiny wedding dress, I decided beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up…a beautiful princess.
The fact that princesses were unheard of in modern-day America did not really bother me. I was convinced that somehow, someway, someday I would become one. It was not that I considered myself especially beautiful or princess-like. In fact, staring into the bathroom mirror one morning at my stringy hair and crooked teeth, I decided that the only remedy was a makeover, which I skillfully applied after digging in my mom’s make-up drawer. (The story of my memorable venture out into public that day with my bright pink cheeks, dark green eyelids, and vibrant orange lipstick is