The Enchanted Cottage

I have certainly read some good books and seen some good movies while sitting in by the fire. Yesterday it was an old WW II movie I had seen before but I didn't know it was specifically made to make the casualties of war feel better about themselves. Supposedly as the story goes the enchanted cottage was let out to honeymooners only and had been for over 200 years. There were many romantic tales about the charm and mystery of the place.

Robert Young was the handsome pilot who returned with a deformed face and arm. Dorothy McQuire was the homely, kind old maid who he married for convenience rather than love. (It is interesting that to make a beautiful woman homely all you have to do is take away her makeup, give her a frumpy hairdo, frumpy dress, and poor posture). At any rate they fall madly in love as they are transformed by the enchanted cottage (they think) into beautiful people. They do not realize they still look exactly the same to other people. They have become beautiful to each other because of the loving and caring way they treated each other.

It is like Goethe said, "If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he could be and ought to be, he will become what he ought to be."

Anyway it was an enchanting, romantic story, just perfect for a snowy, lonely day.

If you have someone in your life that makes you feel beautiful, you are very fortunate. I have never forgotten one day in the San Diego Temple when Richard came up and whispered in my ear. "You are the most beautiful lady here." This was at a time when I was 30 lbs overweight and with a frumpy hairdo as well. And believe me, I was not the most beautiful lady there, but he treated me as if I were...a very kind man.