Enough

The one time I knew I was beautiful was on my wedding day.
And that was all I needed to know.  Honestly, it is enough.

I have always considered myself average.  My nose is too big and my ears stick out.  I've been told all my life that I look like my Dad, which is great and all, but I am a girl so it chips away at your self image of feminine beauty.  I never thought I was down right ugly, but I never thought I would strike anyone as beautiful.

My husband was the first person to ever treat my as if I was special enough to be thought of as beautiful.  He picked me, held the door for me, treated me as if I was beautiful, or at least, could hope that I might be.  He dated other girls.  I dated other guys.  We went to senior prom together, but we spent the next six years getting together and being pulled apart over and over again.  But he never stopped saying I was beautiful.  He was the only one.  I didn't know if I believed him, but I wanted to.

June 12th was our wedding day.  The day before I was staying at my parents' home and spent the night sleeping on the floor because we had guests.  It rained hard that night.  I remember because I couldn't sleep.
The morning of the 12th I woke up and got ready.  I didn't go to a hair dresser.  I didn't wear make-up--perhaps just mascara and lip gloss.  I pulled my hair back in a simple barrette.  
Eric and I left early--before everyone else--to go get our pictures taken.  We drove to the temple, then went to change into our wedding clothes for pictures.  The older sisters in the temple that helped in the bride's room thought it was strange that we were going to have our pictures taken before the ceremony.  I put on my wedding dress and my veil and grabbed my bouquet.  They went in the hall to make sure Eric was there so that he could see just as I exited the bridal room.  I was told I could come out and he was standing by the doorway.
I don't know what it was that he did. Did he gasp?  or say, "Wow!"?  Maybe he just stood there.
That was when I knew that he really did think I was beautiful.
That was when I knew I was beautiful enough.

Magazines, movie stars, plastic surgery, other women that I see everywhere.  There is so much all around me to make me think I might not be beautiful enough.  That there is more that I need to do.  That there is a smaller size that I should be.  That my hair needs to be colored or highlighted.  That my clothes aren't fashionable enough.  That I need to learn how to use anti-wrinkle cream.
But I know I am beautiful.