Love: the truest form of airbrushing

Airbrushed photos: editing images to perfection and distorting our vision of reality people say. And that's true. Models may not look as flawless as they appear on those magazine covers. Alright, so maybe it's not right to photo touch these celebrities in posed pictures in order to make themselves appear like they would in an edited and perfectly lit movie. But that's a great controversy when it comes to models that are creatively posed and dressed within a landscaped set of Vogue. As those pages get printed and our eyes take in the beauty of those shots, the rich colors, and illuminous models, we have to question if this is wrong or just art? So maybe the world has grown into an era of attitudes stuck within shallow perceptions that may not be able to envision this wonderful scene in Vogue if it were only glanced upon in person. Maybe society needs those colors enriched and makeup to stand out on a model in order to help people realize its beauty, take what artists see as potential and perfect it to the eyes of the viewer. Maybe we all need that help sometimes, that reminder of the beauty that's out there, that magic that thrills our senses.

What people may not realize is that this "air brushing" is possible without all the technology that has now defined this modernized term. The greatest most natural and real form of air brushing is found within true love. It is when you notice this new ability within yourself that you may realize just how in love you really are.

"We come to love not be finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly" claims Sam Keen.

And he couldn't be more right. When you're in love you don't need posed photographs to tell you how beautiful your significant one is. And you don't need or want their photographs airbrushed. You can't take "potential" and call it "love" because there's no such thing as potential when it comes to love. True love takes the real overall image of the person before you and naturally transforms them into someone who's as perfect and real as you could ever imagine or feel...both inside and out, with no effort at all...

And this may take some time, and it may require some patience and strength at times. But if it's true love, the airbrushing tool embedded within you for this person will only grow as you learn about one another and share yourselves with each other. An eclectic gathering discovered along your journey together. It's like walking through some weeds when you stumble upon a flower. And from that moment on you'll always see that full bloomed flower wherever you go, always radiant, never fading, never bending, and the overall beauty of it always making you smile. From an outsider's view that can't be realistic: things always change, nothing stays as is, the sun doesn't always shine, colors don't always radiate...petals wilt. But they're not the ones in love. They don't have that well-developed tool placed within them by that one person who's so special to you. Maybe they have it for someone else, but not for your loved one. Yours is taken. That individual, specialized tool has already been developed by yourself. You look at the one you love in a way no one else quite can. And how can it get more wonderful than that?

While all this remains true, that doesn't mean that there aren't still hidden fears within ourselves, thoughts that cloud us and jumble our mind. So you have that person who you can't help but think about happily, and view as anything but perfect. And that's good. But there's still yourself. There comes times when we allow thoughts outside of our air-brushed vision and happy heart to enter this beautiful display of love before us. Thoughts of "what-ifs" that will swarm into the scene as dangerously as hornets out of a nest. "What if I'm not seen as perfectly as I see them?" "What if life throws obstacles and detours at us?" "What if my health changes? My features?" "What if my makeup smears?" "What if my hair thins?" "What if I hadn't started that argument?" "What if I dance off-beat to this song?" "What if I'm too open with them?" "What if someone comes between us?" And the worst being: "What if this doesn't last?" But what we forget amidst this whirl of negativity and fear is that 'what-ifs' never change a thing. You can't change what's already been done, and if you had done it differently, something else similar would have come along eventually because what's meant to be will always be. If you're meant to be with someone, you will be. And if you're meant to stay with them and your love to last...it will. And this may be hard for us to grasp at times, and it may be hard to swallow our fears and therefore wipe away our tears, but we MUST.

No good comes from staying stuck in your fear of what lies ahead. Time will always tell, and do we really wanna have our minds stuck in what we do not know, instead of what we do know here and now? I don't think so. Because it's here and now, in love, that you are happy and that the scene is perfect. And yes, it's scary that that could ever change, but our only choice is to embrace it and accept it as it comes. Be thankful for what you've been blessed to find at all, fleeting or everlasting. The most we can ever do is be ourselves and be all that we possibly and physically are capable of being for our loved one. Offer your whole heart. That's all there is. And listen to it. Use it as your compass. You can't fake it. And let's face it, there are some things you just can't change about yourself. But if it's true love and meant to last, that person has already airbrushed away all those imperfections about yourself that you stress over. They're not noticing them, and when they are, they're seeing flowers where you see weeds. So relax. And enjoy the moment. And soak in that unique, perfectly beautiful image of your loved one that only you can ever truly see in that way, that light, that passion. Embrace it while you can. And if you get the honor of always keeping this mutual and naturally airbrushed perfect scene of love within each other, then even better. But whether it stays or goes, we must focus on the fact that in all reality, it is still here and now. Don't waste a minute of it, don't lose a second of reflecting on the beauty of the moment. Let the love wash over you and refresh you with every breath you take, with every moment that warms you. The purifier to your soul, your life. Remember it, and cherish it for what it is.

Agatha Christie spoke the truth when she spoke of this concept:

"It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them."

When all is said and done, deep down all any of us want is to be loved completely for ourselves. To have our lover draw a heart around every flaw. To make us smile when we want to cry. To hold us closer by their side when we want to hide. And to see ourselves as perfect all-around, despite what others see or think. So the most any of us in love can do is to just have faith in love and in each other. Allow ourselves to absorb that beauty before us, immerse ourselves in the passion we feel...for there are no what-ifs in the here and now...and when you're in love nothing should enter that scenery of perfection your air brushed eyes see before you. Just enjoy that truest form of art: natural, pure, and real.



Photo by: Chris Craymer "Romance"