Bracelet of Beauty

In the Philippines, there was a girl named Elizabeth Feliz. She is a kind, smart, and talented lady. Her family is also prominent and wealthy. She was able to attend a prestigious school. However, she seems unhappy. This is because despite the wealth of her family, the admirable personality she possesses, and her exceptional intelligence, there is something missing. She is considered physically unattractive based on the standard of society for beauty. Ever since she was a little girl, she is being teased by her classmates as ugly. Whenever there is a recitation or presentation in class, someone will bully her afterward. Elizabeth always receives the highest mark not only in her class but also in her batch. Many envy her because of her achievements related to academics. She is also chosen frequently when it comes to inter-school competitions such as quiz bees. She mostly achieves first place in every competition she joins except for beauty pageants. She never attempts to join pageantry because she has low self-esteem when it comes to her physical features. She has a beautiful voice and became part of the school choir. She dances gracefully as well. Moreover, there are times when she will represent the class in a declamation contest. The parents of Elizabeth Feliz, Mrs. Lucia Feliz, and Mr. Antonio Feliz, are very proud of their daughter. They are thankful to have a loving, caring, and kind daughter like her. Elizabeth Feliz is an only child. She has no sibling to play with. She tried to socialize and play with other kids in the neighborhood but she ends up being ostracized and bullied. Whenever Mrs. Lucia Feliz and Mr. Antonio Feliz see other kids bullying their only child, they cannot hide their sadness. How cruel it is for society to treat someone differently just because they are not beautiful. This is the reason why Elizabeth has no friends around the neighborhood and usually spends time with her mother either at home or at the farm near their house. "Elizabeth, my dear. Would you like to plant some fruits and vegetables on the farm with me?" Mrs. Lucia Feliz asked Elizabeth. "Sure, Mom. I would be happy to help." Elizabeth replied. They went outside and walked towards the farm. The Feliz family owns hectares of land and a portion of it is where Mrs. Lucia and Elizabeth Feliz are planting crops. This is their hobby and bonding as a mother and daughter. "Did you bring the seeds, dear?" Mrs. Lucia asked. "Of course, mom. I could forget other things but not the seeds." Elizabeth chuckles. "Great! Thank you, Elizabeth." Mrs. Lucia said. As they walked around the farm, they saw some plants already bearing fruits. "Look, mom. The tree has mango fruits now. It is so many." Elizabeth was in awe. "Oh, I see. Look at this side also, there are avocados now." Mrs. Lucia observed the surrounding as well. "The dragonfruits are also available now. There are also crops ready to be picked." Elizabeth was excited. Suddenly, Elizabeth looked at the area of potatoes. "Oh, this potato looks awful, Mom," Elizabeth stated as she showed the potato with ugly features. Mrs. Lucia looked and smiled. "My dear, Elizabeth. Could you come here for a second?" The little girl walks toward her mother and they sat on a bench nearby. "What is it, Mom?" Elizabeth asked while still holding the potato in her hand. "Look at this potato. It may seem ugly on the outside but does it really matter?" Mrs. Lucia said. "I do not understand, Mom. Could you explain it to me?" Elizabeth was curious. Mrs. Lucia took the potato from Elizabeth and told something to her that she will remember until she grows up. "This potato might look ugly on the outside but once you peel it, it will look like the other potatoes also. When you cook it, it will still be edible like other potatoes. Do not be deceived by physical appearance because what matters the most is what is on the inside. Similar to a person. It is better to be kind and unattractive than to be beautiful but rude to other people. Do you understand now, my dear Elizabeth?" Mrs. Lucia elaborated. "Wow! I can relate to this potato. This ugly potato is not worthless because what matters the most is what is on the inside. Thank you for enlightening me, Mom!" Elizabeth said and hugged her mother. "You are really a smart girl. I love you, my dear Elizabeth." Mrs. Lucia said while hugging her precious daughter too. It was a sunny morning a while ago but eventually became cloudy. "Let us plant some fruits and vegetables now before it rains." Mrs. Lucia said as she looked at the sky. "Let us have a contest. Whoever is able to plant more seeds will win. Ready?" Mrs. Lucia added. "Okay, Mom. If I win, I would like to have some ice cream afterward." Elizabeth said with a smile. "Sure. Ice cream will be the prize for the winner. Let us start." Mrs. Lucia chuckles. They started digging into the soil and gently dropping the seeds. After the seed is in place, it will be covered with soil again. Sufficient distance for each plant is observed so it will have enough spaces when it grows and bears fruits. After a while, Elizabeth screamed with happiness "I am finished. I planted all my seeds. I will have ice cream later!" Mrs. Lucia smiled while seeing her daughter jumping with joy. Even though Elizabeth is not the winner, her mother still intends to give her ice cream. Nevertheless, her daughter is eager to win and deserves the ice cream after accomplishing the task. "Okay, my dear Elizabeth. Let us go home now and buy you ice cream. What flavor do you like?" Mrs. Lucia asked. "I want to have chocolate ice cream, Mom," Elizabeth responded. "Sure. We will buy chocolate ice cream." Mrs. Lucia agreed. "Thank you, Mom!" Elizabeth hugged her mother once again. The mother and daughter started walking going back to their home and took some money to buy the chocolate ice cream as a reward for Elizabeth's accomplishment.