beauty in the breakdown

A lot of times the most breathtaking kind of beauty is that which is hidden. A beautiful soul last longer than make up and hairspray. Since I was a wee one I've heard the saying "it's what's on the inside that counts."  Yet still, we get caught up in what we look like, and what others, and everything around us look like.

I was in Los Angeles, California this past weekend, and got the chance to see the city in a whole different light. I stayed with a friend who works in South Central LA, right next to The Projects. He explained to us the suffering and pain that is surrounding the people around him. The streets are filled with trash, buildings falling apart, graffiti everywhere, the whole area is a mess. Not to mention there are sweatshops, gangs, drugs, violence and people and conditions of extreme poverty everywhere. It's because the people there have been forgotten, and live in conditions that are so rare to see in America.

But inside this broken city, behind trees and trash, was one of the most beautiful parks I've ever seen. Behind beautiful gates hidden by vines, green grass, huge trees, and stone walls, was an oasis. In the same way, inside those houses that are falling apart, or inside the person that lost everything, is beauty.

There is beauty in everything and everyone.