Some people are blessed to be born without imperfections and some are not as fortunate. While some people who were born beautiful on the outside allowed their conceit and vanity to produce a heart, soul and personality so vile that it turned their outward appearance ugly too, other people have had a heart, soul and personality so wonderful that it transcended their outward appearance and made them beautiful. Cliff was the latter. Cliff was born with a drooping eyelid and his face pulled downward from his eye which produced a lazy eye as he grew up. He had no redeeming good looks about him in any manner. But, Cliff was so beautiful on the inside and his love for himself and humanity shined through him so intense I don't think bullies could have picked on him if they wanted to. He was beloved by everyone who met him...including me. When I met Cliff in High School it was flat out love at first sight. When I looked into his eyes I saw the most gentle, kind hearted human being I had ever met. He was not the type to let anything hold him back or get to him and he was quicker to make jokes about his looks than anyone else. He didn't mind that people called us Beauty and the Beast after his favorite book because he was the one that coined the phrase about us. His pet name for me and the only name he ever called me by was (his) Belle. Despite what this man was born with he had a heart of gold, was an intense romantic and had an optimistic outlook on life that was truly amazing. It was tragic when his life was taken at only 20 years old by another form of bully...one he couldn't overcome, a drunk driver. I am writing this in loving memory of a man who was an inspiration to us all. Whether you are beautiful or not, for every time you allow someone to “get to you” with what they have to say about you or do to you, then you allow them to win by taking something from you, a piece of your heart and your soul. If you allow it to happen enough, over time you run the risk of becoming a bitter person who wants to hurt others to make up for what has been done to you. Love yourself for who you are and don't let anyone take that from you or turn you into someone you truly don't want to be. I believe I have seen enough posters on here that resemble what I just described. You know who you are and I will continue to pray that you gain peace for yourself. And as I said in my last post about unintentional bullies, for every time you don't look back at that person that made you look away when you first laid eyes on them because of their looks, you take something from them, a piece of their heart and soul! And you might possibly miss out on meeting someone as wonderful as Cliff! I have always taken my inspirations and modeled my life after the late and GREAT Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Cliff who taught me that it's not what you were born with, but who you become with whatever you have!!