I have the reverse feelings of Kate. "Cute" or "pretty" would be nice; "beauty" I deeply desire.
But there are more ways to be beautiful than are seen in the pages of fashion magazines. I've known beautiful people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, shapes, and sizes. So much of beauty is, to me, much more than skin deep; our outward presentation expresses what we hold inside.
I knew a girl who was quite unattractive, and became rather beautiful by sheer will; not the will to be beautiful, but the will to live. She'd had a terrible childhood, and the ugliness of her past translated to her physical appearance. Over the time I knew her, she didn't lose weight or start using makeup or whatever, but she became more confident and true to herself, learning to care for herself, and letting that show in how she dressed, how she walked, how she spoke, the brightness in her eyes. She will never be a terribly pretty woman, but she is beautiful.
