The beauty of Janice?s gift was that there were no restrictions. But we, in a sense, created a restriction because we wanted to honor her for this quite amazing gift. But not just buying a new set of orchestra chairs but by creating an event that would honor her gift and put the Missouri Symphony Orchestra on the map, above and beyond having a great summer music festival, and see where it goes from here.

Maybe it’s not about having a beautiful day, but about finding beautiful moments. Maybe a whole day is just too much to ask. I could choose to believe that in every day, in all things, no matter how dark and ugly, there are shards of beauty if I look for them.

The beauty of the past belongs to the past.

Guy suddenly wanted to scald his face, gain fifty pounds, shear his hair. He was sick of his beauty, his “eternal” beauty. People thought he was purer, more intelligent, kinder, nobler than he was because they ascribed all these virtues to him. What if he were stripped of his looks, if he stabbed the grotesque painting in the attic? If they saw him for what he really was – empty-headed, vicieux (how did you translate that? “Riddled with vices?”), narcisse? Used to being indulged and pursued, terrified he’d outlive his fatal appeal and yet longing to be free of it?

If looks and physical beauty do not matter why is everyone so offended if you tell them they are not attractive.

Even now, I still believe metamorphosis is the greatest beauty.