Women are Beautiful

  There are few women in this world who truly define beauty for me, and today’s beautiful woman was one of them. I first met Joan Crowell when I was just a little girl. What I remember about her back then was her style and her smile. I thought she was so glamorous and beautiful. She always had the perfect hair and dressed so nicely, and she always seemed ready to laugh. It’s funny how a shy little girl can be totally put at ease by the genuine kindness of an adult.

In later years, my family moved away, and we didn’t see the Crowells for quite some time, but every time we did, she was the same lively, lovely person.  She was still genuinely kind and always ready to smile. 

These past few years have been much the same. There weren’t many opportunities to cross paths with Mrs. Crowell…except on Facebook. And wouldn’t you know that I learned more about her beauty on this social platform than at any other time.  I learned that she was still in love with her man. I learned that she loved her family fiercely.  I learned that she always had an encouraging word for others. I learned that she stayed positive in the midst of hardship and failing health. I learned that she was strong and courageous and still full of joy right up until the very end of her life. 

What can be more beautiful than a life well-lived? Than a smile in the face of adversity? Than an encouraging word for a grieving soul? Her beauty was not just a perfect hairstyle, a stylish outfit or an amazing smile. Her beauty radiated from within. It was her light. Her love. Her joy. And her kindness. 

Mrs. Crowell, it has been on my mind to feature you as the beautiful woman of the day for some time now. You went home to Heaven before I got the chance, but part of me thinks that you are more than okay with that. I am absolutely sure that you are being richly rewarded for the light of love that you were while here on earth. Thank you for showing a little girl what beauty truly is. 

Let me tell you about my cousin, Julie, who has got to be one of the most beautiful gals I know, both inside and out.  Julie (aka Jules) has got it all...brains, beauty, personality, godly character and a great sense of humor.  And as if God didn't think it was enough to give her all of these wonderful traits, He then blessed her with the most beautiful family as well!  (Her husband has a heart of gold and her two little girls are absolutely adorable.)

Julie is a part-time aesthetician when she's not home caring for her family.  You can tell she's passionate about and practices what she believes in when you look at her beautiful skin!

Besides all of this, one of my favorite things about Jules is that she's so much fun to be around.  I remember when she was little her mom used to sing a song about "Julianna Joy" and since then I've always thought of her as synonymous with Joy.   She's always good for a laugh and never takes herself too seriously.  Did I tell you she's got it all?  I meant it!  And she is truly so sweet and thoughtful and down to earth that you can't help but love her.

Julie, thank you so much for allowing me to celebrate your beauty today and share it with the world!   I love you!

Another one of my favorites is in the spotlight today!  I often mention built in best friends and Tina is one of them.  Tina is the sister closest in age to me, which means we did the most growing up together.  And what a childhood it was!   We may not have had much, but we had our energy and our imaginations and that was enough.

There are so many wonderful things I can say about Tina, but my absolute favorite is that there's nobody in the world I laugh with more.  I could mention so many laughs and inside jokes, but there's not enough time or space in this container.  ;)

Tina is an excellent friend to so many people and I'm so blessed that not only is she my sister, but also one of my best friends.  She lives so close, our kids are close in age, and we still get to vacation together with other friends.  

Besides Tina's physical beauty, which is reflected in this picture (She's so dang photogenic, it's just not fair!), she is a loving and thoughtful person to everyone.  She makes friends so easily because she has such a magnetic personality and loves to laugh and have fun.  She's also so good at keeping up with her friendships and relationships, which is something I admire greatly.  

Lastly, back to her physical beauty, my favorite things about Tina that make her so beautiful are her dark, sparkling eyes, her smile and her always perfect hair!  I've also always loved the shape of her face.  We share a similar nose, which we've always commiserated about, but on her I think it looks perfect.  

Tina, I love you so much and I'm so thankful that you were my built in best friend since the day I was born.  I hope you know how beautiful you are to me and the world.  Thank you for allowing me to spotlight your beauty today!

Eeek!  I am SO excited to introduce today's beautiful woman!  Sometimes in life you are introduced to someone in a crazy, neat way that reminds you that life is full of fun little surprises.  That's what happened with Katiel (pronounced Kah-teel).  I walked into the spa the other day and was asked my name.  When I said, "Katie Gray" the attendants looked at each other and laughed and told me that there had been some confusion on what treatments I was getting.  Then Katiel spoke up in the waiting room said that her name was Katiel Gray and that everyone thinks she's Katie Gray and that the L is just a typo.  When I told her my name is actually Katie L Gray, we had a good chuckle about it and were able to have a short conversation before I went to my appointment.     

The first thing I noticed about Katiel was this calm beauty that she had about her.  Her energy felt absolutely authentic and peaceful, and her smile is stunningly beautiful.  Her eyes are a fresh, sparkling blue and framed by the most amazing eyelashes.   The other thing I noticed was that she had these intricate tattoos all over that just seemed to enhance her beauty even more.  I imagined that each one was a story in her life and it made me curious as to what those stories might be.      

Over the past couple of days, I've been able to message with Katiel and I've learned so much about her.  She's worked in music production for the last ten years.  She takes care of artists while they are on site and builds backstage areas for festivals.  She does some touring as well.      

Her passions are health and wellness, yoga, mindfulness, plant-based and organic diet and herbalism.  She is a certified yoga instructor and is hoping to phase out of the music career and into a career that involves these things that she's so passionate about.      

One other passion of hers is environmentalism.  She committed to 1800 service hours with state parks during Covid.  She is a certified wildland firefighter and has her sea turtle permit.  She was able to work with endangered animals during this time.  Katiel says that the love of her life is her 11 year old dog named Ona, who is a great dane mix.      

Now you know why I was so excited to introduce Katiel today!  Not only did we meet in a fun and interesting way, but there is infinitely more to her beauty than what you see on the surface.  I, for one, cannot wait to see what she does with her passions in the years to come.   Katiel, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share your beauty with the world!   

Introducing the beautiful Carolina.  I met Carolina at my kids' dentist office today.  The first thing I noticed about Carolina was her beautiful hair and her lovely smile.  She was positively glowing.  On top of that, she was patient, kind and helpful as I checked out and made future appointments.  

When I made mention of the fact that her happiness made her glow, she told me that she's purchasing a house today and will soon be getting married.  Of course, that would make a girl glow!!  

Carolina is mom to 3 girls, ages 21, 18 and 11.  She was an absolute joy to talk to as she was so positive and excited about life.  She confided in me that there were times when she did not have as much happiness, but she is so grateful for where she is now.  

Carolina, I wish you the best in this next adventure of life as you make a new home and settle down with your husband to be!  Thank you for allowing me to share your beauty with the world!

Is anything more beautiful than a woman full of joy??  I met Lisa a little while ago at the store and everything about her was magnetic.  Her joy was absolutely contagious, and her energy was sooo abundant.  

Today is Lisa's birthday (see her short video on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/108822375088017 ) and she shares a birthday with her grandson!  Standing in the checkout line, we got to talking about how waking up each morning is the most precious of gifts.  We don't always recognize it as such, but without this daily gift, we wouldn't even be here.  Literally!  

Talking to Lisa was such a needed reminder to me about recognizing the beauty in life itself.  Living another day.  Breathing another moment.  Loving our loved ones and celebrating life with them WHILE WE ARE ALIVE.  Every day is a celebration of life.  Let's all be like Lisa and make it a joyful celebration.  I, for one, do not want to be life's party pooper.  Do you??

Thank you, Lisa, for allowing me to feature you at your most beautiful.  I hope the world can see what I see.  And happy birthday to you!

Nothing is more beautiful to me than a woman who embraces her beauty no matter how she's looking or feeling in the moment. 

I approached Mary and Debra yesterday while walking downtown.   The first thing I found beautiful about them was just two ladies in camaraderie taking a morning stroll.  But as I got closer, they both smiled at me, and I could see the beauty in their smiles, their joy, and the lovely color of their skin.  

When I spoke to them, they were so kind, although their initial response was doubt about a picture being taken in that moment because they were exercising.  I get it!  When you're all hot and sweaty, you don't always feel beautiful.  But in the next instant, the light came on inside of both of them, they embraced their beauty and smiled for the camera.  I showed them the photo and they were delighted by what they saw.  I was too!  Thank you, God, for the gift of beauty in the humans that we come into contact with every day.    

Mary and Debra, if you want to look me up on Facebook, you can search Women are Beautiful, or the link to the page is @katielgrayconfidencecoach.  Feel free to share and tag yourself!  It was such a pleasure meeting you beautiful ladies!  Thank you for allowing me to share your beauty with the world!

There was no way I could let today pass me by without featuring the woman that I believe is the very, most beautiful woman in the world, my mama.  

Ever since I was little, when someone mentioned a beautiful woman, her face was always the first that came to mind.  Her kind smile, her sparkling brown eyes and her perfectly rouged cheeks were definitely my little girl version of beautiful.  I definitely could see why my dad fell in love with her.

So many years have passed and I'm no longer a little girl, but with the years and some maturity, I'm able to see so much more than that physical version of beauty.  I see love.  Absolute, sacrificial, God-honoring love.  I see grace.  I see boldness and kindness and wisdom and patience.  I see gentleness.  I see real, true authenticity, like I've never seen in another human being.  And in spite of the losses she's suffered in life, I've seen peace, joy and surrender.   

Not every child gets a mother with so many good qualities all rolled into one.  I'm so thankful that my mama's arms always meant comfort and love to me.  That her beautiful face always reflected gentleness and goodness.  

And I feel that if I can live up to even half of the example that she has modeled for me and my sisters and our daughters, then, in some small way, I will be continuing to share her beauty with the world.  

Happy Mother's Day, Mama.  I am forever grateful that God gave me YOU as the most beautiful example of a woman and a mother.  I love you more!

This amazing, beautiful woman is Sarah.  There are so many things I could share about 

how beautiful Sarah is.  First of all, she is an awesome mama.  I mean look at those four adorable boys she's brought into this world!  And they reflect every bit of goodness that she possesses as a person!  She is raising them well.

Sarah is also a kind, caring teacher.  She has poured so much love and encouragement into my little girl and, I'm sure, countless other students throughout the years.  I know she's been the favorite of many families for a very long time.  She is retiring as a teacher this year, and although so many of us are sad to see her go, we are also thrilled that she will be able to spend more time at home with her own babies after investing so much time into hundreds of others for well over a decade.

Regrading Sarah's inner beauty, I would have to say that she is smart, kind, funny, caring, positive, encouraging and a great conversationalist.  Regarding her outer beauty, well, this picture speaks a thousand words and I'll only add that she has such beautiful eyes, a warm smile and the cutest sense of style.  Sarah, enjoy this new stage of your life!  Thank you for allowing me to share your beauty with the world! 

Every once in a while, we are gifted a person in our lives that is like a complete package of perfect all rolled into one human being.  For me, that is today's beautiful woman, Tanya.  

I have been blessed to have Tanya in my life since the day I was born.  God gave me this beautiful big sister who is so fiercely loyal to everyone she knows and loves.  And besides being beautiful on the outside (look at that amazing smile!), Tanya has so many inner qualities that make her heart and soul glow with the same beauty on the inside.  

Tanya is a wonderful wife and mother.  She is also the wife of a pastor, and I have absolutely loved seeing her grow in that role over the past several years.  Personally, I think any person in the world would be so lucky to have Tanya as a friend.  I already said that she's fiercely loyal, but she's also SOOO encouraging and the biggest cheerleader a girl could ask for.  Honestly, if you want someone to shout you from the rooftops, Tanya is your girl.  She's never afraid to see the good in people and share it with the world.  

She's smart.  She's beautiful.  She's kind.  She loves to laugh.  She has such an eye for decorating artfully, and for dressing stylishly.  I'm so glad she's MY big sister and I have the opportunity to share her beauty with the world.  Love you, Tan!  Thank you for being the best example of a beautiful woman!

Pictured here with me is Traci.  I've only spoken with Traci a few times, but each time her beauty and sense of style was what I noticed the most about her.  I mean look at that dress for goodness sake!  Isn't it adorable??  

Each time I talk to Traci I'm convinced that she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  I actually met her at a local moms group at our church called It's 4 U, Mom.  Traci committed to taking to the stage to welcome the moms, make announcements, etc. even though it is totally out of her comfort zone. So admirable to lead with that kind of courage!

Traci is a stay at home mom of four kids, a boy and 3 girls ages 15, 10, 3 and 1.  She loves spending her time being hands on with her babies.  And although it's the best job in the world for those of us that do it, we know it can also be the toughest at times having 50 jobs all rolled into one.  You're doing great, Traci.  Thank you for allowing me to share your beauty with the world!

Today I'd like to feature the beautiful Cortney!  I noticed Cortney sitting pretty as you please on a bench yesterday as I was taking my walk.  Her beauty struck me immediately.  I mean look at her eyes and her smile!  And she is perfectly put together.  Everything about her spells BEAUTIFUL!

Cortney works in the mental health field, and she is a health coach at Baptist.  She is definitely a kindred spirit in that way.  

Cortney, thank you for allowing me to share your beauty with the world!

I met this beautiful group of friends last night when I was out with my own friend.  I noticed them taking a few selfies and I offered to take a picture of all of them together.  I also immediately asked if I could feature them as my beautiful women today.  I loved seeing their energy and sisterhood.  It gave me all the warm fuzzies!

So, I present to you Roxana and Mary Beth, who are in their 60s, Beth, who is in her 50s, and Cheryl, who is in her 70s.  They are all from the Kingsland, Georgia area and they were having one last big hurrah last night before they go their own separate ways and embark on their own adventures over the next few months.  What a beautiful, inspiring group of ladies they were!  This is definitely the kind of dress up, good time group that I can see my friends and I being all the way through our 70s and beyond.  Thank you, ladies, for allowing me to share your beauty with the world!

I want to feature this amazing lady as today's beautiful woman.  Sixty-nine years ago, she brought my dad into the world, and today, for the first time, they will be celebrating his birthday together in Heaven, along with my Papa. 

 I can imagine what it might be like for them up there right now.  I can hear her saying, "Oh, Butch" with a dramatic roll of her eyes when he cracks a joke or gives her a hard time.   I can imagine her puttering around the kitchen fixing him and Papa a snack.  I can smell the beautiful, comforting scent that was hers alone.  And I can see her in her slippers and housecoat just being Mimi.  

This woman was a spitfire.  She was a force to be reckoned with.  She was no-nonsense, yet with a fun spark.  She was opinionated and yet unconditionally loving.  She was stubborn and yet so giving.   I am so very thankful that she was the matriarch of our family.  She left a big hole to be filled and she left MANY daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters to stand in the gap.  

Mimi, thank you for giving my dad life 69 years ago.  Thank you for raising strong sons and daughters.  Thank you for showing us what it is to be a strong, beautiful woman.  And thank you for every bit of YOU that I inherited.  I am proud to share your beauty with the world.  

EEEK!!!!  I cannot even tell you how excited I am to feature today's beautiful woman!!  This fabulous gal is Alina.  Besides being 10X Barbie beautiful, Alina is one of the most amazing souls I know.   She just exudes beauty in every way.  She is kind, loving, SO intelligent and a boss babe to the max. 

Besides being mom to 2 adorable little girls, Alina is a high-performance life and business coach.  I've only followed Alina for about a year now and participating in her programs has completely uplevelled my life.  I have grown SO much just being in her energy.  I can say without a doubt that every girl and woman needs an Alina in her life!  You can find her on Instagram @Alinagraysoncoaching or on Facebook she is Alina Grayson.  Check her out!  She is the complete package!

Alina, thank you for being you and for allowing me to share your beauty with the world!

I am soooo excited to introduce you to today's beautiful woman.  This is Heather.  I've known and admired Heather for a very long time.  She's always so upbeat and encouraging and her beauty goes well beyond the beautiful woman you see in this photo.  Let me share a little bit of what makes Heather so beautiful...

In July of 2020, Heather was diagnosed with colon cancer stage 3C.  She had no family history & no symptoms.  She had surgery to remove the tumor, followed by 6 months of chemo.   All of her scans and blood work were clear until Dec 8, 2021, when her CT scan showed the colon cancer had returned.  Stage 4.  Surgery wasn’t an option, because she needed chemo right away.   She started her second round of chemo on Jan 3, 2022, and it will end on June 8. When this second round of chemo is over, her oncologist says that she will be receiving targeted chemo treatments every 3 weeks for the rest of her life.   

Throughout this whole process, I have seen Heather shine beautifully and keep the most amazing spirit of gratitude and positivity.  I know she's had her moments of unbearable pain, but each time she has displayed that same beautiful spirit to the world.   Here's what she has to say about her sassy new hairstyle:

"My hair started falling out after two weeks of this chemo. Last time, my hair thinned a little, but didn’t fall out.   I’ve cried buckets since my hair started falling out in January.  I had made numerous appointments to get my head shaved & then I would cancel them.  I finally got to the point where there just wasn’t a lot of hair left. Yesterday, when I went to “In the Pink” to get my head shaved & fitted for a wig, I thought that I would cry, but I didn’t. I had my husband, Tor (pictured here) and 3 kids with me (25, 18, 15, a daughter & 2 sons), and it just became this joyful event with lots of laughter. I couldn’t believe the burden that was lifted from my shoulders yesterday, and how very happy it made me to take this step. The Mohawk wasn’t planned, but when it was left, we all thought it looked pretty cool, and I was feeling fierce! Completely unexpected, but we all love it for some weird reason! I found out yesterday that Mohawk, means “people of the flint”.  That’s awesome. I want to be as strong as flint!"

Need I say more?  This woman is amazing, strong and BEYOND BEAUTIFUL!!  Heather, thank you for letting me share your story and your beauty with the world.

I passed by this girl on my run this morning.  We smiled at each other and after I passed her by, I thought about how beautiful she was.  I thought, "She should be on a website, womenarebeautiful.com or something like that."  I wondered if that was an actual thing and told myself that if it wasn't, I should make it one. 

I looked it up on my phone.  Nope.  It wasn't a thing.  The domain name was available.  But it cost a pretty penny.  No pun intended.  $2895.  Yikes.  Maybe not.  I immediately started to talk myself out of it.  But I had this feeling.  This nudge.  This ping.  This electric feeling.  Yes, Katie.  It's a yes.  Just do it.  

I turned around and ran back to the girl, doubting myself the whole way.  Before I could change my mind, I approached her.  "Excuse me.  I feel so stupid.  I never do things like this and you're going to think I'm absolutely crazy, but...

Can I take a picture of you?  When I passed you by a few minutes ago, I saw how beautiful you were, and it inspired me to start a website called womenarebeautiful.com.  I know it sounds crazy.  I'm sorry, but do you mind?"  

She encouraged me and said that she wouldn't mind at all.  I asked her name.  "Brittany," she said.  And here is Brittany pictured to the right.  Isn't she beautiful??  There is a radiance about her.  She is glowing.  Her smile is inspiring.  She is magnetic!

I continued on my run.  Within five minutes I knew that I could not put it off.  I knew I needed to take this opportunity.  I purchased the website and continued running. 

Immediately doubts started to assail me.  What on earth did I just do??  I'm an entrepreneur.  A business owner.  I should know better!  What if I can never make this money back?  What was I thinking?  What if I just paid nearly three thousand dollars just to tell a stranger on the street that she's beautiful?   

And then my soul whispered the answer... "Then it was worth it."  

So, welcome to womenarebeautiful.com, the website where beautiful women will be featured daily... just because.  I cannot wait to meet you beautiful women all over the world!   

And to Brittany, thank you.  Your beauty is truly inspiring.  

Much Love, 

~Katie