Metamorphosis

The person I want to be almost always has a smile on her face. She speaks with grace and poise. She laughs more often than she cries. She controls her temper and finds the proper ways to stand up for herself. She lends a hand to others and sets an example to those around her.

The person I want to be is funny and kind. She holds her tongue when necessary and speaks words of wisdom and truth. She is feisty and full of life. She is

not afraid to be herself because who she is is beautiful. She is confident because she knows she is worthy. No one could ever convince her she is anything less than magic.

The person I want to be is responsible and trustworthy. But, at the same time, she is carefree and not afraid to fly. She is the life of the party, but it’s natural; her personality is just that big. She is comfortable in her own skin and unique in her style.

The person I want to be is full of faith and never-ending dreams. She is grounded enough to see reality, but she never quite walks with her feet on the ground. She believes that anything is possible and she sees the beauty in the world around her. She lives a life based on integrity; centered on God.

The person I want to be makes her husband feel like the only man in the world. She is supportive and patient. Loving and strong. She is the kind of wife that makes him feel fortunate to love her.

The person I want to be is the kind of mommy her kids deserve. She is never impatient or too busy. She is always full of fun ideas and interesting activities. She says “yes” way more often than she says “no”. She is someone they look up to and respect; and she is their best friend.

The person I want to be is a great friend. She is unselfish and giving. She is a better listener than speaker. She is joyous when the situation calls for it and sympathetic when needed. She laughs and cries alongside. She shares deepest secrets and glasses of wine.

The person I want to be is so many things. She is who I wish to see when I look in the mirror. She is who I pray, each evening, I wake up to each morning. One of these days, though. One of these days, this is the person I will be remembered as. This is who I will be.

Prom

All you have to do is look around at the world. Look at all of the tragedy and despair. People are dying, often at the hands of others. People are being hurt and abused. People are being mistreated and lives are being torn apart. I have closely followed the news, just like many of you, and I could say so much about the horror of the most recent current events. I started to, actually, write a post about those events. I decided that we needed something else instead. I decided that we all needed a story to restore our faith in humanity.

I attended a high school prom this weekend. Not because I wanted to relive my youth, but because I was assisting a student with autism. He had been asked to prom by a young lady in his class. She wanted to be sure that he could have the opportunity to be involved in this night, a memorable moment in any student’s education. So, she contacted his parents and they made plans that would allow him to experience life as a typical high school boy.

He rented a tux. He bought a corsage. They made dinner plans with a group of classmates. He practiced dancing and reviewed etiquette. And this past weekend, the big night was here.

She looked stunning. He was so handsome. And they danced the night away. They slow danced, they fast danced, they danced together and in a big group of people. All around him were young people, eager to make this an enjoyable experience for him. When he needed to take a walk because the music and lights were too much, no one ridiculed him or judged him. When he didn’t know all of the popular dances, no one made him feel unwelcome. In fact, he was brought into the group and taught, step by step, so that he could join in. When his dance moves didn’t look a thing like any one else’s, no one laughed; they just danced, right next to him. He didn’t sit down for two hours. By the time it was time for him to leave, he had danced himself into exhaustion. He was definitely tired and ready to get off of his feet.

It was one of the most incredible nights I’ve ever had the opportunity to be a part of. This young man, who fits none of society’s norms. He doesn’t understand the right things to say or the popular ways to act. He doesn’t hang out with these kids on the weekends or go out on dates. He doesn’t know the songs or the dances. It didn’t matter. Saturday night, for a few of the best hours of his life, he was just a boy. His classmates, these high school seniors, not yet adults, they made sure of it. He was one of them.

Society could learn a thing or two from this amazing group of kids. They don’t have all of the right answers, they have so much yet to learn…. but this, they’ve got this right. And I pray that as they grow and change, as they become adults and leave high school far behind; I pray that this is something they take with them. Because this is something they got so incredibly right.

Believe the Impossible

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast.” – the White Queen, Alice in Wonderland

There is power in believing the impossible. There is something about believing that anything can be done. It restores innocence and wonder. It builds dreams and destroys limitations. It strengthens hope and fosters imaginations. I believe the impossible. I believe that anything can be done. Sometimes, even 6 things before breakfast.

I believe in magic. I believe in miracles. I believe that magic is not illusions and mysteries. It is in that feeling you can’t describe. It is Christmas and sunrises. It is that look of pure joy in your child’s eyes. It is innocence. It is dreams coming true.

I believe in overcoming obstacles. I believe that there is nothing that can defeat you, unless you allow it to. I believe in the ability to move mountains. I believe that we have been given the strength to survive any situation. With enough faith, perseverance, and determination there is nothing that can’t be done.

I believe in true love. I believe that there is one person for everyone who chooses to find them. I believe that we are made for someone specific. I believe that sometimes it takes work and several heart breaks to find that person. But, when you do, you know your heart has come home.

I believe in imagination. I believe that you can be anyone you choose. I believe that you can travel to far off lands without ever leaving your home. I believe that the images that we can create in our minds can never be matched by images created on a screen. The imagination is one of our greatest tools.

I believe in people. If you look around, most days, it seems impossible to believe that people are good. I do. I believe that the people who love outnumber the people who hate. I believe that the people who dream outnumber the people who give up. I believe that the people who give outnumber the people who take advantage. I believe that the people who have faith outnumber the people who don’t believe in anything anymore. I refuse to give up on humanity, even when it looks like the odds are stacked against us.

I believe in happily ever after. I believe in fairy tales. I believe in Prince Charming. I believe that happily ever after takes work. I believe that fairy tales are simply your dreams coming true. I believe that Prince Charming isn’t always riding in on a white horse; sometimes he is a brown-eyed boy, in a red car, taking your breath away with a first kiss.

Soundtrack to my life

I love music. You’ve probably heard me talk about it before. I love music. I almost constantly have a song running through my head. I will hear bits of conversations and immediately think of a song. I listen to music when I’m sad or happy. When I’m mad or bored. Frequently, I will listen to music instead of watching tv. It has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember.

So, I started thinking that it would be fun to create a soundtrack for my life. The different events in my life that have altered me somehow. The different memories that I have, the different people who have been in and out. I won’t share with you all of my memories, but I will share with you my soundtrack. Maybe some of these songs will take you back to another place and time too. Happy listening!

Wild Thing – The Troggs

7 x 70 – Chris August

Small Town – John Mellancamp

Graduation – Vitamin C

I Turn To You – Christina Aguilera

Butterfly – Martina McBride

Good Enough – Sarah McLachlan

Circle of Friends – Point of Grace

Sorry – Buckcherry

Ready – Brit Nicole

If It Kills Me – Jason Mraz

Almost Do – Taylor Swift

He’s My Son – Mark Schultz

Find Your Wings – Mark Harris

Trouble – Taylor Swift

Angel By Your Side – Francesca Battestelli

Waiting for Love – Pink

Have Your Way – Brit Nicole

Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not – Thompson Square

Hundred More Years – Francesca Battestelli

Need You Now – Plumb

Beyond Measure – Jeremy Camp

Worth It – Francesca Battestelli

This was harder than I thought. I feel like I could have listed a hundred songs, or more. What song would be included on the soundtrack of your life?

Words

Bucket List word cloud #3 (Photo credit: mccmicb)

I am a big fan of words. I love song lyrics, Bible verses, books, and quotes. I love the words that make me laugh. I love the words that make me cry. I love the words that make me think. I love the words that resonate deep in my soul.

I think that words are one of the most powerful tools we posses. My heart has been broken because of words. My spirit has taken flight because of words. My smile has been unstoppable because of words. My future was decided because of words. They are so often spoken without thought; despite the profound effect they can have over our lives. One of my favorite thing about words is that they can mean something different to different people. They can mean something different to the same person at different periods in their life.

I have a notebook full of words. Song lyrics, quotes, etc… that I have been writing in for a big part of my life. Each time I hear or read something that touches me, I write it in there. It’s like the spoken soundtrack of my life. I love to take it out and read it and let those words reach into my soul all over again. I would love to share with you one of my favorites.

“The heart has reason which reason cannot understand” – Blaise Pascal

Do you have the appreciation for words that I do? What do these words mean to you? Feel free to share some of your favorite words with me. Maybe they’ll go in my book too.

20 Things I Wish I Had Known at 16

I’ll be 31 this year. I look back over my life the last several years. I look at younger girls today and remember who I was 10 years ago; 15 years ago. I was so naive and young. I had so much to learn; so much that I learned the hard way. It wouldn’t have done any good for someone else to try to tell me. So, I would like to go back and tell myself all of things I wish I had known at 16.

That’s me, on the right

To the 16-year-old me:

1. Eat healthier – You won’t always have this body. You won’t always have this metabolism or be this active. Make better choices now. They will catch up with you.
2. You are not fat – You will gain weight. You will have children. Love your body now. It will change, and not always for the better.
3. Don’t worry so much about being good – Don’t break any laws or make any decisions you’ll regret. But, don’t always pass on opportunities to have fun like a teenager. You’ll regret that some day, too.
4. Kiss that boy – You like him. He likes you. Kiss him. Do not sleep with him. Just kiss him.
5. Hang out with your parents – One of these days, you’ll be a parent. You’ll have your own life and it will be a busy one. Hang out with your parents, they’re actually kind of fun.
6. Spend more time learning how to be a girl – It isn’t this horrible curse that you think it is. Learn make-up and hair tricks. It’s way more acceptable to try the crazy ones out when you’re 16, than when you’re 30.
7. Take more pictures – You will forget all of this one day. You will forget some of these people. You will forget most of these memories. Take pictures. Don’t forget.
8. Save your money – Don’t be afraid to have fun. But, don’t waste it, either. It’s much easier to learn that lesson now than it will be when you’re 25.
9. Exercise – Maybe if you learn to love it now, you won’t be fighting yourself to do it later.
10. It’s ok to say no – In fact, it’s more than ok. You will wish you had known how to do this more than once in your life. Love yourself enough to say no.
11. Don’t throw those clothes away – If they still fit, they’ll be trendy again in 20 years.
12. Keep dreaming big – One of these days, you will have the opportunity to live some of those dreams.
13. Take the trip – Go to Florida with your best friend. Go on vacation with your family. Don’t just stay home. You might miss out on the place some of your best memories could have been made.
14. Don’t let someone else live your life – People will, if you let them. The decisions you make based on the other people in your life will be the ones you will always question.
15. Go away to college – You will always wish you would have.
16. Learn – Learn to cook. Learn to paint. Learn to dance. Whatever you want to do. Learn to do it.
17. Don’t stop writing – You will learn so much about yourself by writing. You will watch yourself grow. Write all the time.
18. Speak a foreign language – Really learn it; not just enough to get by. You will always wish you did.
19. Study more – Those are the skills that will benefit you later in life. Your grades in high school and college will follow you longer than you know.
20. You are beautiful – The people who make you believe otherwise don’t matter. Don’t let them convince you that you are anything other than beautiful. You will spend a lot of years recovering from that.

I wonder how my life might have been different if I had known these things at 16. Could I have saved myself some heartache? Could I have been a better me?

What would you tell yourself if you could go back 15 years?

Pieces of my Soul

I have a list. Most people refer to it as a bucket list. I call mine my life list, because it’s not how I want to die, it’s how I want to live. And it’s always growing. I started it probably 6 or 7 years ago. I never erase anything, so some of them have already been done. I just add on. Every once in a while I think of something, or see something, or hear of something and I realize that I need to do that, too. But today, this moment. This is what I want my future to consist of. These are my dreams. I’ve learned many lessons in my life; some of them were easy, and some came at a pretty high price. Of dreams, I have learned this: dreams are fragile and dreams are precious. Hold them close to you, protect them. If someone steals your dreams, they take with them pieces of your soul.

write letters to my children
keep secrets
hike in the Rocky Mountains
visit every state
dance in the rain
be a great friend
travel the world
read the Bible every day
save money
be happy
go to the Bermuda Triangle
live as an example to others
learn something new every day
no regrets
be patient
get married to a good man
have babies, lots of babies
visit Ireland
watch a hurricane come in from the beach
swim with sharks
read Shakespeare
kiss the man of my dreams in the most romantic place in the world
read the top 100 banned books of all time
write as much as possible
appreciate something beautiful each day
show my children that I love them every day
chase my dreams
give back
laugh, really laugh
go on an African safari
take time to look up at the stars
make money doing something that fulfills me

So that’s what my life list looks like today. Maybe tomorrow it will grow again. Some of them have been checked off. Some of them will always be a work in progress. And some of them may go unrealized. But, I feel that, in the final moments of my life, when I look back, these are the things I want to see.

What is / would be on your list?

I believe

Everyone has to believe something. And not just in a spiritual sense. The things that we are passionate about. The beliefs that make us individual. The beliefs that make us someone worth knowing. The quirky, or serious, pieces of you that someone may have to dig to find. I was reflecting on this one day several years ago (before I met my husband) and, in an effort to know myself more, I decided to record my beliefs. My personality, at least at that moment. It’s interesting what we can learn about ourselves and each other just by simply sharing what we believe. Here are my beliefs. I would love it if you would share some of yours!

I believe…

Daisies are more romantic than roses

Sunsets are the perfect time to fall in love

Every wife should be the most beautiful woman in the world

I believe…

Happily ever after is something you make, not something you find

A person’s true feelings will always show in their eyes

Your dreams are sometimes worth a broken heart

I believe…

Your love is the most important gift you have

The man I marry will make it less frightening to grow old

Love in its purest form is in the smile of a child

I believe…

The greatest tragedy is loving someone and not telling them

A great pair of shoes requires a new outfit

You can’t truly live without risking pain

I believe…

Shooting stars should always be accompanied by a wish

A good cup of coffee is never a waste of money

Love, true love, sometimes takes time and sometimes takes a lot of miles. But when you find it, you will know; and it will be worth it.

I believe