Loving Without Conditions: A Reflection on Beauty and Belonging

This morning, I found myself watching Bruce, my little doxie, and thinking about how deeply I love him and how essential he is to my life. As my eyes traced his short legs—T-Rex-like in their size—his proud chest built for digging and chasing badgers, his less-than-fresh breath, and his long, chubby frame, I felt such affection. I love all of him, exactly as he is.

In a world that places so much emphasis on appearances, it’s striking how little they matter in the things that truly count. I wouldn’t love Bruce more if he had long legs or a slim body. It’s his quirky walk, his excitement when my son comes home, and his joy in the everyday that light up my own days.

I don’t spend hours in front of the mirror. I don’t wear makeup, though I do wear sunscreen—a choice rooted in health after so many years under the Brazilian sun, not vanity.

Even Treasure, our senior cat with her long, elegant fur, gets shaved in the spring to help her stay cool and knot-free. She looks a little odd afterward—small and bare—but I adore her even more when she’s “naked,” as I like to say. She seems to enjoy being touched more, and her affection deepens. It’s a win-win.

When we strip away expectations of how things or people should look, we open ourselves to the kind of love that sees the whole being—and embraces it. That, to me, is real beauty.