Therewereasensitivityandabeautytoherthathavenothingtodowithlooks.Shewasonetobelistenedto,whosewordsweresoeasytotaketoheart.

Itissaidthatthetruenatureofbeingisveiled.Thelaborofwords,theexpressionofart,theseeminglyceaselessbuzzthatishumanthoughtallhaveincommontheneedtogetatwhatreallyisso.Thehopetodrawclosetoandpossessthetruthofbeingcanbeafeverishone.Insomecasesitcanevenbefatal,ifpleasureisone'struthanditsattainmentmoreimportantthanlifeitself.Inotherlives,though,thesearchforwhatistruthfulgiveslife.

Iusedtofindnotesleftinthecollectionbasket,beautifulnotesaboutmyhomiliesandaboutthewriter'sthoughtsonthedailyscripturalreadings.Thepersonwhopennedthenoteswouldaddreflectionstomythoughtsandwouldalwaysincludesomequotesfrompoetsandmysticsheorshehadreadandrememberedandloved.Thenotesfascinatedme.Herewassomeoneimmersedinasearchfortruthandbeauty.Wordshadbeentreasured,wordsthatwerebeautiful.AndIfeltasifthewordssomehowdelightedinbeingdiscovered,fortheywereobviouslyverygeneroustotheasyetanonymouswriterofthenotes.Andnowthispersonwasinturnlearningthesecretofsharingthem.Beautysoshineswhengivenaway.Theonlytruththatexistsis,inthatsense,free.

ItwasalongtimebeforeImettheauthorofthenotes.

OneSundaymorning,Iwastoldthatsomeonewaswaitingformeintheoffice.Theyoungpersonwhoansweredtherectorydoorsaidthatitwas"thewomanwhosaidsheleftallthenotes."WhenIsawherIwasshocked,sinceIimmediatelyrecognizedherfromchurchbuthadnoideathatitwasshewhowrotethenotes.Shewassittinginachairintheofficewithherhandsfoldedinherlap.Herheadwasbowedandwhensheraisedittolookatme,shecouldbarelysmilewithoutpain.Herfacewasdisfigured,andtheskinsotightfromsurgicalproceduresthatsmilingorlaughingwasverydifficultforher.Shehadsufferedterriblyfromtreatmenttoremovethegrowthsthathadsomarredherface.

WechattedforawhilethatSundaymorningandagreedtomeetforlunchlaterthatweek.

Asitturnedoutwewenttolunchseveraltimes,andshealwaysworeahatduringthemeal.Ithinkthattreatmentsofsomesorthadcausedalotofherhairtofallout.Wesharedthingsaboutourlives.Itoldheraboutmyschoolingandgrowingup.Shetoldmethatshehadworkedforyearsforaninsurancecompany.Shenevermentionedfamily,andIdidnotask.

Wespokeofauthorswebothhadread,anditwaseasytotellthatbooksareagreatloveofhers.

Ihavethoughtaboutheroftenovertheyearsandhowshestruggledinasocietythatplacesanincrediblepremiumonlooks,class,wealthandalltheotherfineriesoflife.Shesufferedfromadisfigurementthatcannotbemadetolookattractive.Iknowthatherconditionhurtherdeeply.

Wouldherlifehavebeendifferenthadshebeenpretty?Chancesareitwouldhave.Andyettherewereasensitivityandabeautytoherthathadnothingtodowithlooks.Shewasonetobelistenedto,whosewordsweresoeasytotaketoheart.Herwordscamefromawoundedbutlovingheart,verymuchlikeallhearts,butshehadmoreofaneedtobeawareofit,tolivewithitandlearnfromit.Shepossessedafine-tunedsenseofbeauty.Heronlyfearinlifewasthelossofafriend.

Howlongdoesittakemostofustoreachthatlevelofhumangrowth,ifweevergetthere?Wegetsoconsumedanddiminished,worryingaboutallthethingsthatneedimproving,wecaneasilyforgettocherishthosethingsthatlast.Friendship,sorareandsogood,justneedsourcare-maybeeventhesimplegestureofwritingalittlenotenowandthen,orthedroppingofsomebeautifulwordsinabasket,inthehopethatsuchbeautywillbesharedandtakentoheart.

Thetruthofherlifewasadesiretoseebeyondthesurfaceforaglimpseofwhatitisthatmatters.Shefoundbeautyandgraceandtheybefriendedher,andshowedherwhatisreal