A Woman's Eyes (Updated from 9/26/2014)

 

"I see a woman in her eyes; her humor and anger, joy and sadness, her love and hatred. 

The eyes reveal her soul; her depth and complexity. 

She is truly a creation of beauty to behold; the delicate porcelain doll to be placed on the pedestal and admired. 

I see in her the mother of life, to be kept out of harm's way and protected from the misery around her.

In her eyes I can see what we were, are now, and will become; our past, present, and future. 

In our struggle for life, we retreat to memories of her eyes and remember why we fight to survive and come home.

I see a woman in her eyes, and remember what it is to love... and to feel alive."

-- F.A. Villari

With all of the abuse in the news over the past few years, I thought it might do us well, as men, to remember how we came to be, and why we continue to exist.  After all, if it weren't for a woman, none of us would be here.  If you raise a hand to a woman, in anger, you raise a hand to your mother; the mother of us all.  You risk shattering the fragility of nature... the fragility of your own soul. 

If you're thinking of raising a hand, in anger, at a woman, consider this before you complete the act.  You are a man.  As such, you have the strength to physically cause her pain and mental anguish.  You also have the strength to stay your hand and find a better, more tolerant way.  Sometimes we find "applied" philosophy in strange places.  Consider this quote:   

"Let us redefine progress to mean that just because we can do a thing, it does not necessarily mean we must do that thing."

-- Star Trek IV

It seems, at times, a man spends too much of his life destroying, and not enough time doing that which is truly necessary for his life - creating and loving.  Women get more beautiful as they get older.  Maybe it's because I'm rapidly approaching 70.  I'd like to think not, but I fall in lust constantly.

Maybe we can make an attempt to look into the eyes of a woman and tell her, "I love you for just being a woman."  Try being the sensitive man they might not see enough of, instead of an ass that slaps the crap out of them in an elevator, or the father that beats his child with a stick.  This is what some people have come to expect of men. It is a wrong expectation.

Try being something else.  Try being a "real" man, being able to take on the world, yet taking time to smell the roses.  It isn't that hard. Oh, and buy some roses.  Your lover will appreciate them... and you.

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.  The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where she resides.  The true beauty is a woman is reflected in her soul.  It's the caring and loving she gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years."

-- Audrey Hepburn

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions, and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com