44 – Faces *

Special thanks to Ritva for providing the photos. Ritva is in Finland and I encourage readers to visit her blog Ritva Sillanmaki Photography. Please tell her I sent you and feel free to comment on her images here. She was also willing to try something different for me – collages. Any thoughts? Ritva’s work is copyrighted by Ritva Sillanmaki Photography.

Click the video above for 2 minutes of background waves while reading.

I like walking on the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

I see the faces of people I pass during the walk. Some people look at the sea and see faces in the water – but I don’t. On the other hand, the sky is a place for faces.

On this day, a full moon is in the daytime sky. Although it is not a bright smile as its daytime companion, Mr. Moon’s presence is less known and people can easily miss it. Each of us has memories of that face and how we see it at night.

Given that it’s daytime, we know Mr. Sun brightly shines to illuminate other faces; but we don’t see its face – yet we value its presence as it warms our faces.

The clouds in the sky are always moving and changing. Sometimes they are happy or spiritual or both; other times a menacing evil. Sometimes a distinctive profile; other times an imaginative image as an ultrasound picture of a baby.

I think about real human faces – the ones that I pass as I walk and the ones that I’ve encountered through my 60+ years. I wonder how many faces I’ve seen in malls, crowds, in my classes, during travels, and at any gathering I’ve attended? All are faces of different people: the young and the old, the able and the disabled, the men and the women, and faces of different cultures and races. All are faces of humanity.

All the faces that I’ve seen – the faces of different gifts and abilities: the musical, the artistic, the analytical, the athletic, the strong, the generous, the helpers, the leaders, the empathetic, the kind, and many more.

The faces of smiles and kindness who are willing to embrace everyone. Those whose help lifts the faces of others.

All the faces that are willing to share with others. All the faces that truly try to help change the faces of others by helping a various ways to meet a variety of needs. These are the faces bringing the shining light of humanity – but so are the kind faces who smile at each other as they pass when walking the beach.

We look at faces to see various eyes, dimples, freckles, cheeks, noses, lips, chins, ears, foreheads, smiles, and more. Some people look friendly, others grumpy – some of which may be natural sour saps. Some faces are serious, others pensive, and some show genuine warmth and kindness. Some are bound to be fakes behind what they show.

One aspect of a personality must be written on their face – but I can’t identify the lawyer, teacher, pastor, artist, or any other profession as they walk on the beach. Then, there is the angelic face that is the face of a psychopath.

Some smiles are genuine – others are fake. Some people focus on the eyes because the eyes are windows to the soul. But no matter the clues, the story a face tells is far from the full story.

We can call someone fuzz face, dogface, or big face. One can have a long face, do an about-face, laugh in someone’s face, say it with a straight face, show a poker face or a game face, be in one’s face, take it at face value, or even talk until they are blue in the face. But, let’s face it! All could be a bald-faced lie because it is written all over your face. So, wipe that smile off your face. After all, you are more than just a pretty face who doesn’t need egg on their face.

Previously mentioning dogface as a nickname reminds me of the faces of animals – especially our pets. To me, there are more variations in the dog family than within the cat family. Some may say their faces are like humans. That is, coming in a wide variety and having looks that may not match their personality. Then again, their faces can show personality and emotions.

Faces are complex – possibly too complicated – so, keep walking, keep smiling, and keep being kind to others. After all, I like walking on the beach. It is good for the body, mind, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

See what other bloggers have written about beaches

• Faces of Laos & Cambodia (photos)
• Smiling Face (essay)
• Memories with Faces (poem)
• Love has Many Faces (essay)
• Face of the World (poem)

Next Post: Stars * – Tuesday 23 February @ 1 AM (Eastern US)

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