True Beauty

I love this picture of my mom.  I found it on her iPhone shortly after she passed.  It was mixed in with a bunch of similar ones of her in this same outfit.  Clearly she was having a lot of fun goofing around with a girlfriend because the pictures resembled something of a photo shoot...some with her hand on her hip, some where she's clearly channeling Tyra Banks in America's Next Top Model, some where she's got a serious pouty face, and just some pretty hilarious ones. Then there was this one...so natural...such a beautiful smile. 

I picked this picture, along with one of her from my wedding, to blow up to poster size and frame for her funeral service.  I placed it up front right next to her pink casket...yes, i said that...it was tasteful!  I think some people in my family thought I was a little nuts with how obsessed I was with this picture.  I mean, she's even got a wig on.  Maybe that is why I love it.  Because she was being playful...and funny...and spending some good 'ole laughs with a girlfriend.  It isn't a perfectly posed picture but, to me, she is absolutely beautiful in this image.  And I don't mean in the artificial sense.  I mean she looks confident and happy.  And that's how I want to remember her.

Whatever, like I said, I love this picture.

Two months ago today she died.  And although tears have been shed today and my heart is still hurting, I like to remember that my mom was happy. She was confident. And she was beautiful both outside and in.