What to Study, What to Study?

I have been working with the homeless by the Interstate 65 and Wedgewood intersection, befriending and feeding them, for the past two years.  I have noticed a strong community and culture there, especially considering that several people who work for The Contributer distribute the newspaper at the on and off ramps.  In all of my encounters with a variety of homeless people, there seems to be one common theme:  having a meal, meeting a new friend, having someone who cares for them, and receiving simple gifts consisting of the necessities of life, are blessings to them; they are beautiful.  So this got me thinking, what is beautiful?  Not as in who is beautiful or what is beauty, but what is it that makes an object, a food, a piece of clothing, beautiful?  Is it its usefulness, its practicality, the number of functions it has, the intention of the person providing it, or is it the person receiving the gift who, based on their life experiences and current living situation, determines what is beautiful?