Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical. (Sophia Loren)

It's curious how you can learn some very important and very poignant life lessons in the most unexpected circumstances and from the most unexpected people. I'm the fist to admit that I love "the greats" - the great writers, painters, musicians, and all the rest of them, and have learnt many valuable lessons from them. But to be honest, I have learnt the most from the "little people" - from a curly, blond haired boy who lives on Asteroid B-612, from a sea gull whose only goal in life was to fly as perfectly as possible, from a little baby born in a manger, from a 6 year-old girl who also happens to be my daughter.

The latest lesson that I learnt from my daughter took place last Sunday. She and I were on the internet after having been as sick as two dogs with the flu for the past week. We hadn't been on the internet all week so it was nice to muck around on Facebook, feed our pet dog (we have a Facebook cavalier king charles spaniel called Noni although I would like to buy myself a real dog for my birthday. But not a word to anyone, especially not to hubby!), look at some photos of friends and family. We then came across a photo of my friend's brother from one of his albums, at the wheel of a fast and furious car with this caption: There are two things my brother doesn't let go out of his hands - cars and a mobile phone. Add a camera and pretty girls (http://flickr.com/photos/strasnonesto/sets/72157600023799683) and you've got the whole picture ;-).

Being the curious George I am, I had to have a look at the photos, see what all the fuss was about. Well, seems that friend's bro is a photographer, and what a photographer. He has every man's dream job - taking photos of fast cars and beautiful women. It was while we were looking at the pretty girls from the above link that my daughter's wisdom hit me like a veritable brick and the following conversation took place between us:

(Turning around to hubby): "Look hubby, seems my friend's brother has your dream job, taking photos of pretty girls and fast cars - ya jealous?"
"Why should tata be jealous?"
"Ah, 'cause this guy takes photos of beautiful girls all day while tata has to write on the computer day and night"
"Why aren't you there, mama?"
"Why aren't I there? Ha, ha, 'cause I'm not beautiful, that's why"
"Yes you are"
"Maybe to you, but I'm not as beautiful as them! I mean look at me - I look as though I've been run over by a semi-trailer! No, I'm not beautiful, definitely!"
"Yes you are, you're more beautiful than them. You should be there, not them. Your friend should take photos of you"

I just laughed after that and we looked at some other stuff on the internet that she likes, like The Wiggles and whatnot.

But the thought wouldn't go away - I more beautiful than they? No way! But the more I thought about it, the more I realised what she had meant. She didn't mean that I was physically more beautiful, rather, more importantly, I was beautiful in ways unseen to the average human eye, in ways that only she could see. I asked myself, would one of those girls tuck her in at night when she had untucked herself? Would one of them let her sleep in her bed when she's just had a bad dream? Would one of them read her a story? Me thinks not.

And that's the thing - no matter how much physical beauty one has or has not, it's what's invisible that counts, those things the average person's eyes can't see - like a kind word or gesture. What a lesson to be taught by a six year old girl. She shows great promise...

Here are some beauty tips from one of the most beautiful women, both within and without, that ever lived: