Making: A schedule for the week of which jobs I need to be at and when.
Cooking: Left over taco soup, yum!
Drinking: Dr. Pepper. Duh.
Reading: Lucky (Alice Sebold), Odd Apocalypse (Dean Koontz), Sirens of Titans (Kurt Vonnegut), and notes from the classes I took this semester.
Wanting: Time off from my jobs so I can go home for a few days.
Looking: At a messy room and thinking I should do something about it.
Playing: "Everything is Brilliant" by Rosi Golan, Sugar by the Horrible Crowes, How Life Can Turn by Appleseed Cast, A Dream for Us by Appleseed Cast, Matching Weight by Trespassers William
Wasting: Time surfing the internet.
Sewing: Nothing, yet, because I can't sew. Soon.
Wishing: That good byes didn't have to happen, but they do, because letting go is a part of learning and learning is a part of life.
Enjoying: The time off thanks to the ice. It's been nice to be off and do absolutely nothing.
Waiting: For my freaking awesome Christmas gift to myself to get here, and for DALLASCON2014!!!
Liking: The people I have in my life.
Wondering: Wonder.
Loving: How close to Christmas we are!!!
Hoping: The roads aren't too bad so I can go grab something for dinner. I'm tired of being inside.
Marveling: At the grace God gives us daily! I don't deserve it, but I get it without asking and can in turn give it to others, especially when they don't deserve it. That's when they need it most.
Needing: Time.
Smelling: Nutmeg&Spice :))
Wearing: The same outfit for the past four days-baggy shirt, pajama shorts, messy bun. Classy.
Following: Attachment parenting pages. I love people who are passionate about every aspect of their life and their children's life, from conception to whenever.
Noticing:That I have some people in my life who are very, very good to me, and I do love them so.
Knowing: that God has such wonderful things in store for me. And sad things, sad lessons, sad goodbyes.
Thinking: About a conversation I had yesterday about either accepting people's flaws or letting them go.
Bookmarking: Montessori bedroom layouts. They're so fun to look at!
Opening: the washer, soon, so I can do some laundry.
Giggling: over One Tree Hill, whenever it's on.
Feeling: Overwhelmed sometimes.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
The best laid plans [an early morning poem]
The best laid plans...
spoiled by too much good food, loud laughter shared too late, and new books that smell old...
spoiled by a will to sleep in until the time is past double digits...
spoiled by a mess of sheets that cling too tight, keeping you in place.
In bed.
spoiled by the call of characters you are just getting to know... Four hours in and you know them better than they know themselves. Penpals penned on paper for all of eternity.
spoiled by cloudy days and drizzling rain and a warm apartment.
spoiled by the promises of sweet slumber and the hope of good dreams.
Sundays spent, spoiled by ripping up lists you know you have to finish.
Instead, lounging around with books and left over food and no motivation to do anything but enjoy the day by doing absolutely nothing.
Learning and growing through movies and television, the gentle glow of the screen your best friend for the day.
eating whatever is in arm's reach and saving what is left for a midnight snack.
Skipping church only to find God in the newest novel by your bedside. To see him peeking in through the cracked curtains letting in the early morning light. To feel him in the silence.
Breaking plans because they all require effort and there is no room for that today...
The best laid plans...are no match for Sundays...
spoiled by too much good food, loud laughter shared too late, and new books that smell old...
spoiled by a will to sleep in until the time is past double digits...
spoiled by a mess of sheets that cling too tight, keeping you in place.
In bed.
spoiled by the call of characters you are just getting to know... Four hours in and you know them better than they know themselves. Penpals penned on paper for all of eternity.
spoiled by cloudy days and drizzling rain and a warm apartment.
spoiled by the promises of sweet slumber and the hope of good dreams.
Sundays spent, spoiled by ripping up lists you know you have to finish.
Instead, lounging around with books and left over food and no motivation to do anything but enjoy the day by doing absolutely nothing.
Learning and growing through movies and television, the gentle glow of the screen your best friend for the day.
eating whatever is in arm's reach and saving what is left for a midnight snack.
Skipping church only to find God in the newest novel by your bedside. To see him peeking in through the cracked curtains letting in the early morning light. To feel him in the silence.
Breaking plans because they all require effort and there is no room for that today...
The best laid plans...are no match for Sundays...
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Every Day is a Sunday Evening
Tonight, we don't have a lot to go on now,
But that's not how it lives in my head,
No not at all.
Blind times,
Thought we were matching weight,
We pulled.
Sometimes it was you and sometimes it was me,
But where are we?
-----
There are some moments in life that are so frailly beautiful you don't even want to breathe because you are afraid it will pop the moment. The trance will be broken, the magic will disappear, you will forget the night and the memories.
I held my breath for the better part of seven hours, afraid if I blinked it would go away. You would go away. But you didn't. You stayed, your big doe brown orbs fixated on me, cherishing as much as I did. It is rare when two beings both recognize the sanctity of a moment, but there is no surprise there, not to me. You were always so wonderful at picking up on those little fragmented moments and stringing them into something whole that completed me so.
I cried and you didn't move to hold me because you knew if you did, it would become something bigger than what we are. But in your silence you understood all that I was mourning, and all that I was marveling that. There is no surprise there, not to me.
So much of what you have said I have repeated in my head, trying to hold onto it, trying to understand and accept each word. Trying to see the world through your eyes yet retain them in mine. The sentiments are slipping now, slowly, quietly, but I understand and I accept. I do. Once more, with feeling-I understand and I accept. Such is the way of the world, as it has been for millions of others before us. And so it will be.
It will happen again, Sunday evening. There will be a Sunday evening every week of my life for as long or as short as I live, but none like that. None exactly like that...which is tragic, but beautiful. It isn't a bad thing, because there is always the chance of a better Sunday Evening. One where there is no tears and more Alfredo sauce and more love. Just because something is over, doesn't mean it won't happen again, but better.
But for now, I have that. I have had that, and I have had you, and my life is forever beautiful and wonderful and magical because of it. I just wanted you to know that. In darkness, I want to show you the astonishing light of your own being, which is so vibrant and bright and wonderful. Maddening, yet so incredibly wonderful. Without you, every day is a Sunday evening, but with you, it is just as much.
Sometimes in life, we don't get always. But we get better.
-----
You say don't take it all so hard for now.
There's so much space,
And there will always be later for that.
But that's not how it lives in my head,
No not at all.
Blind times,
Thought we were matching weight,
We pulled.
Sometimes it was you and sometimes it was me,
But where are we?
-----
There are some moments in life that are so frailly beautiful you don't even want to breathe because you are afraid it will pop the moment. The trance will be broken, the magic will disappear, you will forget the night and the memories.
I held my breath for the better part of seven hours, afraid if I blinked it would go away. You would go away. But you didn't. You stayed, your big doe brown orbs fixated on me, cherishing as much as I did. It is rare when two beings both recognize the sanctity of a moment, but there is no surprise there, not to me. You were always so wonderful at picking up on those little fragmented moments and stringing them into something whole that completed me so.
I cried and you didn't move to hold me because you knew if you did, it would become something bigger than what we are. But in your silence you understood all that I was mourning, and all that I was marveling that. There is no surprise there, not to me.
So much of what you have said I have repeated in my head, trying to hold onto it, trying to understand and accept each word. Trying to see the world through your eyes yet retain them in mine. The sentiments are slipping now, slowly, quietly, but I understand and I accept. I do. Once more, with feeling-I understand and I accept. Such is the way of the world, as it has been for millions of others before us. And so it will be.
It will happen again, Sunday evening. There will be a Sunday evening every week of my life for as long or as short as I live, but none like that. None exactly like that...which is tragic, but beautiful. It isn't a bad thing, because there is always the chance of a better Sunday Evening. One where there is no tears and more Alfredo sauce and more love. Just because something is over, doesn't mean it won't happen again, but better.
But for now, I have that. I have had that, and I have had you, and my life is forever beautiful and wonderful and magical because of it. I just wanted you to know that. In darkness, I want to show you the astonishing light of your own being, which is so vibrant and bright and wonderful. Maddening, yet so incredibly wonderful. Without you, every day is a Sunday evening, but with you, it is just as much.
Sometimes in life, we don't get always. But we get better.
-----
You say don't take it all so hard for now.
There's so much space,
And there will always be later for that.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The End.
"You can't just walk away from a relationship that lasted that long and not have a scar. But that's what I'm saying, dude. It doesn't have to be a sad one. There was a lot of good there, too."
My Odd one, as wise and knowing and understanding as ever, ladies and gents. When we are presented with endings, it is normal to be sad, nostalgic, maybe even remorseful...but don't those endings give way to beautiful beginnings?
It is important to embrace all seasons of life, all changes, and every ending, because through those endings we are presented with new opportunities, new faces, and new memories. And so it goes.
My Odd one, as wise and knowing and understanding as ever, ladies and gents. When we are presented with endings, it is normal to be sad, nostalgic, maybe even remorseful...but don't those endings give way to beautiful beginnings?
It is important to embrace all seasons of life, all changes, and every ending, because through those endings we are presented with new opportunities, new faces, and new memories. And so it goes.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Oh, How He Loves Us
He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all
Lately, my radio has been tuned into Christian music channels. I find myself just needing the positive affirmations and promises of enduring love and hope and fulfillment. Isn't that what we all want? Isn't that what we crave? To love and be loved in return, to know there is always hope and redemption and forgiveness?
I am not going to talk about what I believe to be true and what I don't. Not directly at least. I just feel so overwhelmed with His love for me, His child. I am imperfect, I am quick to make decisions, I am a sinner, even on my best days and yet... and still... and MORE....Oh, how he loves me. Day in and day out. Through and through. Even on my worst days. That's when I need it most. That's when we all do.
And we are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
I truly do believe if we ask Him to guide our lives, He will, with the most tender care. I have learned-am still learning-to trust in Him and His will. I don't understand why things happen the way they do, but He does and I trust he will care for me even more than my own father. I trust that he sees the whole puzzle when I just have pieces. It is hard to trust without knowing what lies ahead but I just try my best to do it with the most grace and understanding I can. It is not always easy. It hurts sometimes, but He heals. He gives peace and warmth and joy and understanding...in time, of course, but it does come.
Some songs come on and I just have to sit and be still. I just have to soak it all in and try to comprehend how MUCH He loves us, and how everlasting that love is and I can't even fathom. I, as a human, will probably never know the love He knows for me, but I can love Him with all of my might because He is a wonderful father.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way...
I have been thinking lately about the burdens He has placed on me...the ones He places on all of us. He selects his children, certain ones, to carry heavier things than others. I think about the things I have been called to do in life, the gifts I have been given...Iwas chosen to be a light, a laughter, a lifter of spirits, a listener. It might seem insignificant compared to the weight of other things but no one could have done this but me. He made my heart SO open and tender and caring and compassionate. I am who I am because of the love of His He instilled in me. I just want to be so much the image of Him...forgiving, graceful, wonderful, giving, understanding. I want to love as He loves. Love is the best of all things, the lightest of all things and I just want that light to shine through me, always, just as it does through Him.
Oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves all
How He loves
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves all
How He loves
Yeah, He loves us, oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us, oh how He loves
Oh, I love
Oh, how He loves us, oh how He loves
Oh, I love
Yeah, He loves us, yeah, He loves us
How He loves us, oh, how He loves us all
How He loves us, oh, how He loves us all
Monday, September 30, 2013
Love Restores
His love restores, His words are true
What this world breaks, His hands make new
So do not fear, not anymore,
He can heal what's broken and torn
His love restores
Sometimes, we are stubborn in our ways, or we are blind, or we simply cling to what we know. Sometimes, God as to chip away the pieces-the good and the bad-to leave us vulnerable. To leave us raw and to give us knowledge and to mold us with goodness and grace. He is the potter, shaping us slowly into the most beautiful creation. Sometimes, the process is messy, and hard, and painful. To shed layers and to step out of who you were and into who you are meant to be can be scary, and frightening, and uncomfortable. We as humans have to realize He is truly in control of our lives, and He is the most gracious and loving father, wanting only the best for all of his children, as flawed and broken as we are. He will bring us through trials but it is because He wants us to get to the other side of that mountain. Even as we hold His hand tightly, it is still going to be scary, and hard, and that is because God gave us a heart that can love with an unlimited capacity. But it is through Him that we find peace, and comfort, and love, an unmeasurable amount of love and mercy. In my life I feel overwhelmed and powerless at times, and even incomplete, but in His eyes, and in His hands, I am so wonderfully whole and healed.
What this world breaks, His hands make new
So do not fear, not anymore,
He can heal what's broken and torn
His love restores
Sometimes, we are stubborn in our ways, or we are blind, or we simply cling to what we know. Sometimes, God as to chip away the pieces-the good and the bad-to leave us vulnerable. To leave us raw and to give us knowledge and to mold us with goodness and grace. He is the potter, shaping us slowly into the most beautiful creation. Sometimes, the process is messy, and hard, and painful. To shed layers and to step out of who you were and into who you are meant to be can be scary, and frightening, and uncomfortable. We as humans have to realize He is truly in control of our lives, and He is the most gracious and loving father, wanting only the best for all of his children, as flawed and broken as we are. He will bring us through trials but it is because He wants us to get to the other side of that mountain. Even as we hold His hand tightly, it is still going to be scary, and hard, and that is because God gave us a heart that can love with an unlimited capacity. But it is through Him that we find peace, and comfort, and love, an unmeasurable amount of love and mercy. In my life I feel overwhelmed and powerless at times, and even incomplete, but in His eyes, and in His hands, I am so wonderfully whole and healed.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
22
Well friends, there is officially less than five months until a very
popular Taylor Swift song is my anthem! In five months and some days, I don't know about you, but I will be feeling 22!
With seven months of experiences under my belt, I thought I would come up with a few more I want to knock out.
1. Read Interiew with a Vampire. I've had it for years and I swear I've tried three times to get through it.
2.Go to a concert.
3. Send a care package. They're so fun!
4. Attend an on campus event.
5. Attend a Hip Hop class.
6. Sew something. Anything. A button, a ripped shirt, or just go big and make a dress!
7. Make a pinterest recipe. Using every ingredient called for, not just whatever is in my pantry. That's cheating.
8. Read The Jungle. Or toss it out. Again, I've had it for years and sits untouched.
9. See a classic movie that everyone has seen but me. Which is everything, really.
10. Complete a pinterest craft. Again, I have a million of them pinned but with no time, none of them get done.
11. Get a tattoo. Crazy, I know, and permanent! Since getting my first one three years ago, I've had plenty of time to dream of another one and I think I've got it. Denton has some great deals for students so I might as well take advantage.
12. Meet KAT after years of far away friendship. She's close now, so there is no excuse!
13. Find a red wine that I like (*CoughNOTCabernet!JoCough*)
With seven months of experiences under my belt, I thought I would come up with a few more I want to knock out.
1. Read Interiew with a Vampire. I've had it for years and I swear I've tried three times to get through it.
2.Go to a concert.
3. Send a care package. They're so fun!
4. Attend an on campus event.
5. Attend a Hip Hop class.
6. Sew something. Anything. A button, a ripped shirt, or just go big and make a dress!
7. Make a pinterest recipe. Using every ingredient called for, not just whatever is in my pantry. That's cheating.
8. Read The Jungle. Or toss it out. Again, I've had it for years and sits untouched.
9. See a classic movie that everyone has seen but me. Which is everything, really.
10. Complete a pinterest craft. Again, I have a million of them pinned but with no time, none of them get done.
11. Get a tattoo. Crazy, I know, and permanent! Since getting my first one three years ago, I've had plenty of time to dream of another one and I think I've got it. Denton has some great deals for students so I might as well take advantage.
12. Meet KAT after years of far away friendship. She's close now, so there is no excuse!
13. Find a red wine that I like (*CoughNOTCabernet!JoCough*)
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
May your load be light.
I pinned this quote a few days ago, as it seemed like such a simple way to keep your load light. Simply unload all of the hate and anger and bitterness. Let love shine through you. These days I am surrounding my self with affirmations and this one just fit right in.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Moments.
It has been quiet lately. That’s a stretch, I suppose. It’s
been busier and more chaotic than ever. Staying focused and being present in
each moment as it happens is something I have to work on because as of late, my
mind seems to be racing and wandering to other things-school, work, memorizing
menus and remembering who needed cups of water, who wanted what muffin, and
which couple wanted their goods to go or at their table. It’s a good, busy, full life.
There have been many, many changes this year, more than I
can ever remember being. Some of them have been needed and necessary. Some have
been planned out, options weighed. Some have happened as life would have it and
some of them, I had no control over. There are far too many things to list,
some personal, some not, but with my world changing and rearranging, I find
myself a little overwhelmed with it all.
God, as good as he is, gives me so many moments of quiet to
reflect on it all and soak it all in. Many people today don’t know how to be
still, they are afraid of that moment when the quiet sets in around them, but
not I.
FUN FACT: I almost named my blog “the quiet corner”. It’s
cute right? It sounds quaint, cozy, charming, still. But then I thought, when
is my life EVER quiet? When is my mind EVER silenced? I am loud, crazy,
outgoing, full of laughter. There is no room for quiet here! I suspect that
there will come a time in my life when I will have a “quiet corner” in the
world, but for now, loud suits me.
So here, in my loud, crazy, beautiful corner of the world
(and blogosphere) I can unashamedly say that I have struggled this year, with
all of the changes thrown at me. Some have been harder to overcome than others,
and some I am working on being at peace with, and that is okay. I am not afraid
of silence, I am not afraid of change and I am never, never afraid of life and
how it will turn. Even if it is ugly, unfair, heart breaking, confusing, evil,
wonderful, all of it. I am not afraid. I was born to do this.
There is this girl that I am absolutely in love with. I
adore everything about her. Her fight, her spirit, her passion, the way she
makes mistakes and rises above them even when given every reason not to. She is
absolutely beautiful, absolutely vulnerable even at her strongest. She is
headstrong. She is struck down but not destroyed and the loyalty she gives to
her friends and family is unmatched. The love and the light and the life that
pours from her is awe-worthy.
I have come to realize that I am more like Brooke PenelopeDavis than anyone and that is okay. Being lost is okay, being open is okay,
walking around with open wounds is okay! Because that is life! It goes on! You
find yourself, you get what you give, and your wounds turn into wisdom. Bad
days turn to good ones and one day, you learn to laugh again, that unabashed laughter
that causes you to double over and gasp for breath.
That being said, I have handled each change with as much
grace and level headedness that a 21 year old could muster. Most days I don’t
even feel 21, but that’s a post for another day. It’s been a crazy ride for
sure, and it is easy to get frustrated and upset because my life isn’t going
the way I “planned”. There is fear in the unknown but I am courageous, in loud
moments and in quiet ones.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Why I'm Still Going to Listen to Miley Cyrus
The VMAs happened just over 24 hours ago and by now, everyone has seen or heard about Miley Cyrus' performance. I have seen and heard nothing but rants about it and how poor/trashy/inappropriate/disgusting it was. I have nodded to show that I was listening and responded to text messages about it carefully. It took me a full 24 hours to come to a conclusion about it. "Not everything you see, you have to react to."
Miley Cyrus was once a Disney Channel star, featured in the homes of many as the Southern Sweetheart Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. The show had a five year run, in which it also produced a movie and several cds from Miley Cyrus before ending in 2011. Since then we have seen Miley fall from the Disney tower into the deep darkness that is adulthood. We've seen her gyrate in throngs of people in "Who Owns My Heart", we've heard her openly discuss sex, and we gawked when she cut off all of her beautiful brown locks, shaved her head and bleached her hair.
And now, seven years after Hannah Montana aired, Miley Cyrus is here. Gyrating and stripping and shaking her ass in barely and clothes in front of thousands. How did she get here? Where did her parents go wrong?
As much as we shake our heads, WE led her here. It is no secret that in America, sex sells. There are billboards of scantily clad women, advertising bars, beers, and strip joints...but also cars, watches, and other fashion related items. Millions tune into the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Bikini's get smaller and smaller. There are restaurants where the waitresses are dressed in daisy dukes and bras. In movies, it is the beautiful, busty woman who gets the guy, or the girl who puts out...not always, but mostly.
So WHY did Miley do what she did? Because she believed THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. Why? BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE PROVEN TO BE TRUE.
I told my friends that her outfit was no different than what you would find in a club. The moves she pulled are ones go-go dancers do nightly. So why is she taking the heat? Because she is broad casted on millions of televisions, when in reality, this is the world we live in. There are girls like this everywhere, someone's daughter, someone's Miley, someone's graduate. If Miley were at one of her concerts and this is how she performed, would the backlash be as great? If this were a girl at a club, would we openly say the things people have said about Miley?
There is a popular book that is going to be turned into a movie, and guess what the book is about? SEX. 50 Shades of Grey has become one of the best selling books of all time. Women are going to flock to movie theaters to see the film, based on the sex lives of two individuals. It's a porno. How much money will that generate?
I worked at a restaurant about a year ago when the book was more popular and I had 6 or 7 women walk in with that book under their arm to read at the table. Women openly reading a very well known sexually explicit book in public (literally, everywhere!) and we are shocked when Miley pulls stunts like this?
By the same token, how many women went to see Magic Mike? No one knew what it was about, everyone just knew Channing Tatum was going to be giving us a taste of his previous stripping experiences and everyone wanted to see! Why? BECAUSE IN AMERICA SEX SELLS.
Is this the worst thing to happen at an award show? No. Let's not forget the Britney/Madonna kiss 10 years ago, and the Janet Jackson nipple flash we got...
I am going to stand by Miley on this one. Nobody develops fully on their own, we are always being shaped by something. I don't believe it's Miley's fault she danced the way she did. I don't believe it's her parents' fault. Perhaps it was a manager calling the shots, in attempt to prove that she is no longer a Disney girl. Whether we realize it or not, everything we do, we do in a subconscious attempt to please other's.
Now, let's look at the channel in which this was shown. It has been years since MTV has shown strictly music videos. It is now home to popular shows such as Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, Jersey Shore, Skins, The Challenge...NONE of those shows are free of sexual content. Skins was full of naked people, people are shown hooking up constantly...why would we expect anything different from an awards show shown on the channel? To me, Miley's racy performance evolved from a progression of the things we allowed to be shown on TV. Now everyone is casting stones and screaming it's too much? Are you going to change the channel the next time a show has a sex scene?
Miley is only 20 years old. People are saying she acted unclassy and disgusting...she was compared to both PINK! though some argued PINK! was classier...but I remember people didn't exactly like PINK! because she had a mouth on her! I'm sure people thought that was unclassy and disgusting for women to be talking/singing the way she did....Let's talk about the women who show up to award shows/events with plunging necklines that barely cover anything, and the short fitted dresses with heels high enough to put you at level with a sky scraper...is that unclassy?
If we want to prevent any future performances like Miley, if we want to protect our daughters from acting out that way, we, as a country, need to re-evaluate how we expect/want women to be showcased in public. But we have allowed this to happen, whether we realize it or not. Our music promotes it, our TV shows promote it, our billboards promote it.
There is a time and a place for things...and while I argue that knowing what kind of shows MTV airs, parents shouldn't be surprised that their kids were exposed to that, there were probably kids (preteens-15) in the audience. Miley is who she is, and I support that. But her performance would have been better received at one of her own concerts, where she was free to be herself. With the VMAs, she was also representing her fellow artists. Even Kanye West had a respectful performance (this year!). To act that way, while representing both MTV and all of the other acts, was disrespectful, especially since the moves were in sync and on stage with Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines".
I like her music. I like her voice. It's unique, and she was right to break away from country because it wasn't her forte. I will buy her songs, because I like them. I am going to forgive this performance because I have done stupid things, crass things, unclassy things too...and I don't want that hanging over my head. She needs time to grow into herself, into the woman she wants to be, and if we want better, we need to help her, as well as every little girl in America.
How will you start?
Miley Cyrus was once a Disney Channel star, featured in the homes of many as the Southern Sweetheart Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. The show had a five year run, in which it also produced a movie and several cds from Miley Cyrus before ending in 2011. Since then we have seen Miley fall from the Disney tower into the deep darkness that is adulthood. We've seen her gyrate in throngs of people in "Who Owns My Heart", we've heard her openly discuss sex, and we gawked when she cut off all of her beautiful brown locks, shaved her head and bleached her hair.
And now, seven years after Hannah Montana aired, Miley Cyrus is here. Gyrating and stripping and shaking her ass in barely and clothes in front of thousands. How did she get here? Where did her parents go wrong?
As much as we shake our heads, WE led her here. It is no secret that in America, sex sells. There are billboards of scantily clad women, advertising bars, beers, and strip joints...but also cars, watches, and other fashion related items. Millions tune into the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Bikini's get smaller and smaller. There are restaurants where the waitresses are dressed in daisy dukes and bras. In movies, it is the beautiful, busty woman who gets the guy, or the girl who puts out...not always, but mostly.
So WHY did Miley do what she did? Because she believed THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. Why? BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE PROVEN TO BE TRUE.
I told my friends that her outfit was no different than what you would find in a club. The moves she pulled are ones go-go dancers do nightly. So why is she taking the heat? Because she is broad casted on millions of televisions, when in reality, this is the world we live in. There are girls like this everywhere, someone's daughter, someone's Miley, someone's graduate. If Miley were at one of her concerts and this is how she performed, would the backlash be as great? If this were a girl at a club, would we openly say the things people have said about Miley?
There is a popular book that is going to be turned into a movie, and guess what the book is about? SEX. 50 Shades of Grey has become one of the best selling books of all time. Women are going to flock to movie theaters to see the film, based on the sex lives of two individuals. It's a porno. How much money will that generate?
I worked at a restaurant about a year ago when the book was more popular and I had 6 or 7 women walk in with that book under their arm to read at the table. Women openly reading a very well known sexually explicit book in public (literally, everywhere!) and we are shocked when Miley pulls stunts like this?
By the same token, how many women went to see Magic Mike? No one knew what it was about, everyone just knew Channing Tatum was going to be giving us a taste of his previous stripping experiences and everyone wanted to see! Why? BECAUSE IN AMERICA SEX SELLS.
Is this the worst thing to happen at an award show? No. Let's not forget the Britney/Madonna kiss 10 years ago, and the Janet Jackson nipple flash we got...
I am going to stand by Miley on this one. Nobody develops fully on their own, we are always being shaped by something. I don't believe it's Miley's fault she danced the way she did. I don't believe it's her parents' fault. Perhaps it was a manager calling the shots, in attempt to prove that she is no longer a Disney girl. Whether we realize it or not, everything we do, we do in a subconscious attempt to please other's.
Now, let's look at the channel in which this was shown. It has been years since MTV has shown strictly music videos. It is now home to popular shows such as Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, Jersey Shore, Skins, The Challenge...NONE of those shows are free of sexual content. Skins was full of naked people, people are shown hooking up constantly...why would we expect anything different from an awards show shown on the channel? To me, Miley's racy performance evolved from a progression of the things we allowed to be shown on TV. Now everyone is casting stones and screaming it's too much? Are you going to change the channel the next time a show has a sex scene?
Miley is only 20 years old. People are saying she acted unclassy and disgusting...she was compared to both PINK! though some argued PINK! was classier...but I remember people didn't exactly like PINK! because she had a mouth on her! I'm sure people thought that was unclassy and disgusting for women to be talking/singing the way she did....Let's talk about the women who show up to award shows/events with plunging necklines that barely cover anything, and the short fitted dresses with heels high enough to put you at level with a sky scraper...is that unclassy?
If we want to prevent any future performances like Miley, if we want to protect our daughters from acting out that way, we, as a country, need to re-evaluate how we expect/want women to be showcased in public. But we have allowed this to happen, whether we realize it or not. Our music promotes it, our TV shows promote it, our billboards promote it.
There is a time and a place for things...and while I argue that knowing what kind of shows MTV airs, parents shouldn't be surprised that their kids were exposed to that, there were probably kids (preteens-15) in the audience. Miley is who she is, and I support that. But her performance would have been better received at one of her own concerts, where she was free to be herself. With the VMAs, she was also representing her fellow artists. Even Kanye West had a respectful performance (this year!). To act that way, while representing both MTV and all of the other acts, was disrespectful, especially since the moves were in sync and on stage with Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines".
I like her music. I like her voice. It's unique, and she was right to break away from country because it wasn't her forte. I will buy her songs, because I like them. I am going to forgive this performance because I have done stupid things, crass things, unclassy things too...and I don't want that hanging over my head. She needs time to grow into herself, into the woman she wants to be, and if we want better, we need to help her, as well as every little girl in America.
How will you start?
Sunday, August 25, 2013
HelloGoodbye//Summer2k13
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| Hello, Hollywood! |
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| Hello, Ashley! |
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| Hello, Payton |
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| Hello, Austin James! |
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| Hello, Teagan! |
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| Hello, Chelsea Handler! |
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| Hello, Sissie and Fam! |
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| Hello, hardwood floors! |
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| Hello, Hannah-Grace Elaine! |
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| Hello, new job! |
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| Hello, Corpus Christi/South Padre! |
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| Hello, my sleepy head snuggle buggle nephew Nibbler! |
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| Hello, Oak Street Draft House! |
//
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| Goodbye, Dillard's! |
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| Goodbye, Vita! |
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| Goodbye, Celeste Alayna. Your angel wings are beautiful, baby girl. |
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| Goodbye, my wonderful, beautiful, graceful Michael Andrew Corner. May your life be as simple and happy as I've always wanted. |
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| Goodbye, Jo! (Last goodbye, we matched on accident!) |
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| Goodbye, Sweet Summer. I'll see you soon. |
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Viva Forever.
It is late and I should be sleeping-but you know I'm not. Instead, I'm thinking about upcoming "See You Laters". I'm replaying past goodbyes. I loved you so very much. I am going to miss you every day for along time, a time I can't give a deadline too. And that is okay. Missing is okay, tears are okay, hurting is okay. Hurting brings healing and healing brings growth, and with growth there is progress. Life is about progress, not regress.
You are mine and I am yours. We will always have each other. Maybe not in the future, but we have now. Today. It feels like forever, stretching on into a string of endless tomorrows. Maybe that's our forever. A string of endless tomorrows that will someday end, because it's time. Life is full of seasons, all sorts of them. Someday, ours will be over. Someday, maybe sooner rather than later, but we have now. We have a past, a beautiful, wonderful past and I will always be there, permanently in memories that may fade but will always have existed. The moments, the feelings, it all happened. It is happening around us every day, each forever just starting up or winding down. How lovely. How heartbreaking. How beautifully tragic.
Whatever our forever is, I have you. I have had you. I have gotten to know your wisdom, your strength, your love. I have been blessed tenfold by you, and I'm sure when you are gone it will increase more as I take everything you taught me, you showed me, you gave me, and pass it on to others. Strangers, family, friends. Others.
So thank you for everything. The good, the bad, the downright magical. No one else could have given me what you have. No one else could have been in that moment with me. It was just you. Just us. Two people in a relationship not any of the other 6 billion people in the world could replicate. How special. How amazing.
I pray that I rub off on you. May you be a little more hopeful, a little fiercer, a little more passionate, a little more headstrong. But stay you darling. Because now, in this moment, I love you exactly as you are.
You are mine and I am yours. We will always have each other. Maybe not in the future, but we have now. Today. It feels like forever, stretching on into a string of endless tomorrows. Maybe that's our forever. A string of endless tomorrows that will someday end, because it's time. Life is full of seasons, all sorts of them. Someday, ours will be over. Someday, maybe sooner rather than later, but we have now. We have a past, a beautiful, wonderful past and I will always be there, permanently in memories that may fade but will always have existed. The moments, the feelings, it all happened. It is happening around us every day, each forever just starting up or winding down. How lovely. How heartbreaking. How beautifully tragic.
Whatever our forever is, I have you. I have had you. I have gotten to know your wisdom, your strength, your love. I have been blessed tenfold by you, and I'm sure when you are gone it will increase more as I take everything you taught me, you showed me, you gave me, and pass it on to others. Strangers, family, friends. Others.
So thank you for everything. The good, the bad, the downright magical. No one else could have given me what you have. No one else could have been in that moment with me. It was just you. Just us. Two people in a relationship not any of the other 6 billion people in the world could replicate. How special. How amazing.
I pray that I rub off on you. May you be a little more hopeful, a little fiercer, a little more passionate, a little more headstrong. But stay you darling. Because now, in this moment, I love you exactly as you are.
Monday, July 8, 2013
How to Say Goodbye.
"Tell me how to fill the space you left behind
And how to laugh instead of cry
And how to say goodbye..."
And how to laugh instead of cry
And how to say goodbye..."
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| His 21st birthday, 2010! |
I've been struggling with this lately. Goodbyes aren't easy for me, when I have to say them to people I care about. I know it's a "See you later" but I can't imagine not going over and seeing him anytime I want. Who am I going to call when my car is acting up? Who will come hug me when I need it without asking why? Who will listen for hours to all of my problems and give me sound advice? Who will have educated (though not well researched!) conversations on the pros and cons of vaccinations with me?
It is hard to explain what we have been through in just such a short amount of time. We haven't been life long friends, we didn't grow up together. We GREW together. I have gotten to watch him become the man God is calling him to be. I have applauded his accomplishments and been there for the last three years to cheer him on, propose to him*, share his excitement, carry his burdens. We have celebrated with parties and bars. We have shared meals, shared thoughts, shared dreams.
And he has seen me become...more me. Not always classy and composed, but still true to who I am. He has seen me never give up and become more domesticated and less wasteful and more tolerant of alcohol. I am not that matchy-matchy, big bow wearing cheerleader from high school. I am not the naive, uncertain college freshman. I am who I am because of how great he is.
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| My 21st birthday, 2013! |
We have more memories to make in the coming days before he goes...but I just don't know how I am going to be okay without him here.
*Editor's Note: For his college graduation, my friends and I made him a sign asking him to marry us. It was all in good fun.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Video Games
It's you, it's you, it's all for you.
Everything I do, I tell you all the time
Heaven is place on earth with you
Tell me all the things you wanna do.
I heard that you like the bad girls honey, is that true?
It's better than I ever even knew.
They say that the world was built for two.
Only worth living if somebody is loving you.
Baby now you do.
Everything I do, I tell you all the time
Heaven is place on earth with you
Tell me all the things you wanna do.
I heard that you like the bad girls honey, is that true?
It's better than I ever even knew.
They say that the world was built for two.
Only worth living if somebody is loving you.
Baby now you do.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Almost Lover
I heave an exasperated sigh and look to the sky, eyes stinging with tears. The breeze ruffles my hair and I feel a gentle hand rub the back of my scalp soothingly. "It's okay," he whispers to me.
And it is, because he says it is. It's not okay. A broken car when one is on the brink of losing their job and has no savings on a college budget is not okay. But it is. He whispers those words into my soul and I take a deep breath. It's okay.
He is my anchor. My strength. When I can't go on anymore he is always there, to pat my back or pray for me.
He has seen me at my worst. He has come over just to give consoling hugs. He has pulled me out of my darkness. He changes my ipod when I can't seem to turn off my "depressing" music. He rubs my back until I am asleep, away from the harshness of the world.
He is my best secret keeper. He is so gracious and kind. He is encouraging. It was he who assured me it was okay to seek counseling. It was him who listened to each recap, his eyes fixated on me as I relived each awful hour weekly and pointed out my progress.
He is so wise. He councils me on each big decision, each small one. He offers his guidance, his support, without my even asking. I can count on him for honest opinions and he can count on me to value them. He helps me work through problems, stressful situations, anything I can't handle alone.
He is dedicated. To his dreams, to his family, to his friends. I have never known him to be anything less than fiercely loyal to all who know him, especially in their times of need.
He is familiarity, in those tight embraces, in the softness of his skin, in the way his hand finds their way to the small of my back.
He is newness, in each electrical touch, in each surprisingly sweet text.
He is fun, in each dance move, each laugh, each dinner.
He is my protector. He has taken care of me, he has kept me close to his side, he has held my hand to lead me through crowded places.
Once I told myself that there was going to be a man who walked into my life and I would realize why it never worked out with anyone else.
That time might not be now, but I can certainly see why each event unfolded the way it did to lead us here. To this vulnerable place of friendship, where each thought, trouble, and burden can be shared freely. He is exactly what I need in my life. He has been, and he will be.
---
I wrote this a few nights ago, probably at a time when I should have been sleeping. I kept it private because of how intimate it seemed. I just want to take all of my memories and keep them as close as possible so I can have them to hold on to when I need them most...
There is a sacredness I want to keep in my relationships, but after sitting on this post for a few days, I decided to publish it, because people need to know that there is goodness in the world. There is good men. He is a daily reminder.
And it is, because he says it is. It's not okay. A broken car when one is on the brink of losing their job and has no savings on a college budget is not okay. But it is. He whispers those words into my soul and I take a deep breath. It's okay.
He is my anchor. My strength. When I can't go on anymore he is always there, to pat my back or pray for me.
He has seen me at my worst. He has come over just to give consoling hugs. He has pulled me out of my darkness. He changes my ipod when I can't seem to turn off my "depressing" music. He rubs my back until I am asleep, away from the harshness of the world.
He is my best secret keeper. He is so gracious and kind. He is encouraging. It was he who assured me it was okay to seek counseling. It was him who listened to each recap, his eyes fixated on me as I relived each awful hour weekly and pointed out my progress.
He is so wise. He councils me on each big decision, each small one. He offers his guidance, his support, without my even asking. I can count on him for honest opinions and he can count on me to value them. He helps me work through problems, stressful situations, anything I can't handle alone.
He is dedicated. To his dreams, to his family, to his friends. I have never known him to be anything less than fiercely loyal to all who know him, especially in their times of need.
He is familiarity, in those tight embraces, in the softness of his skin, in the way his hand finds their way to the small of my back.
He is newness, in each electrical touch, in each surprisingly sweet text.
He is fun, in each dance move, each laugh, each dinner.
He is my protector. He has taken care of me, he has kept me close to his side, he has held my hand to lead me through crowded places.
Once I told myself that there was going to be a man who walked into my life and I would realize why it never worked out with anyone else.
That time might not be now, but I can certainly see why each event unfolded the way it did to lead us here. To this vulnerable place of friendship, where each thought, trouble, and burden can be shared freely. He is exactly what I need in my life. He has been, and he will be.
---
I wrote this a few nights ago, probably at a time when I should have been sleeping. I kept it private because of how intimate it seemed. I just want to take all of my memories and keep them as close as possible so I can have them to hold on to when I need them most...
There is a sacredness I want to keep in my relationships, but after sitting on this post for a few days, I decided to publish it, because people need to know that there is goodness in the world. There is good men. He is a daily reminder.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Catfish
"We are such a good example for my daughter on how BFF friendships should be. She finds our stuff sometimes and loves to talk about it. And I enjoy telling her things. She saw a CD with a heart on it in the car and knew it was from you-not from JB like she should assume but from you 'cause of the heart. She said "You and V always do hearts for each other that's how I know." And then she comes home to write something for her best friend and HAS to put hearts all over it 'cause that's how we do. We make it look special to her and not just a simple friendship."
There are parts of my life that I tend to keep private because they just aren't acceptable to talk about. However in this day and age, the suppressed secrets are the most celebrated. With the popularity of MTV's critically acclaimed show, Catfish, people have become more accepting of the personalities met online.
Call this a Catfish Story.
Call this a True Life Story.
My best friend is eight years older than me, and we met online...seven years ago.
I was 14 at the time. It was the era of myspace. The frenzy of AIM chat rooms was dying down but AIM was still a popular instant messaging tool. Xanga had run its course about a year or two prior, but being the lover of words and recollection that I am, I continued to use it to blog about my daily Junior High escapades.
I was at that age where I was no longer playing games on the home computer, but participating in social media. I took twenty of the same photo for my profile picture, I posted broody song lyrics as the title to surveys. I didn't just have a social media identity, I had a secret roleplaying one too.
People think of role playing as something sick, sometimes sexual, and you are definitely classified as a nerd if you do so. Roleplaying on Xanga was innocent fun. Harry Potter was the big thing at the time. You create a scenario-Harry's fourth year, during the Tri-Wizard tournament. You create a list of characters, and people chose to be those characters. They create biographies, find a celebrity to portray the character, and interact with other characters through comments and narratives. When I first started, a roleplaying conversation went something like this.
:Ginny leans in and kisses Harry, then laughs: "I think I'm bad at this."
Today, it has evolved into a full on story.
Ginny leaned in, kissing Harry, her long, fiery red hair covering their faces, in case any of her brothers walked by. As if that hair was so inconspicuous...
She pulled away after a moment, chuckling, a rosy tint to her cheeks. "I think I'm bad at this."
Roleplaying was an interactive story, where you remained in character online. There was romance, friendships, enemies. Teachers, students. All in a Harry Potter related world. A magical world.
I met Ashley about four months into my new obsession. Her character, Sarah Fawcett, gave my boy, Roger Davies, a run for his money. Amidst all the chaos brought about by Harry Potter's fourth year, Sarah and Roger found love, babies, marriage. And I found Ashley.
She was 22, living in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Jb, and their fifteen month old daughter,
Payton Annabelle. She had a Golden Retriever, Jupiter, and a cat, Patches...I'm not sure if it was a boy or girl because she always called it both. She had a younger sister who was my age.
We roleplayed nonstop. In chat rooms. Through comments. On AIM. We became friends on myspace.Then one day...she just wanted to talk.
And then one day...we started talking on the phone. A short conversations turned into ones that lasted hours. We talked about music. I was going through my "rock" stage and she had tons of recommendations. We liked the same kind of books. We both loved One Tree Hill. (I got a late start, but it was her who introduced me to it.) She gave me advice on my high school problems, I listened as she vented about her life at the time. I was the first person to know she was pregnant with her second child. We talked about literally everything.
People have tried to say she was a mentor, an older sister type figure...No. She was, and is, my best friend. There was nothing weird or creepy about our relationship because we saw each other as equals.
I continued to roleplay all through high school, only taking a short break somewhere around my sophomore and junior year. The roleplaying world now catered to Twilight, haunted islands, mental facilities, but people were slowly slipping away, back into the real world. Ashley and I were not unusual, there were lots of girls who were best friends through roleplaying and had the same type of relationship.
We talked frequently, through phone calls, texts, even skype!
Then, in 2010 I begged my parents to let me fly to see a Nicholas Sparks movie with her, because the author is one we loved, and the story line was close to our hearts, as we were both with military men.
The answer was no.
But in June of 2010, she made the 12 hour drive to see me walk across the stage for my high school graduation.
It was a whirlwind trip, one that only lasted two or three days. We went shopping, went to dinner, enjoyed cheese cake, danced the night away. There was no awkwardness, no tension...just two best friends having a great time. It was one of the best weekends of my life.
Six weeks later, we got to meet up again, as Ashley and her family moved across the country for her husband's naval orders. We had lunch together at a burger joint and walked around for a bit before parting ways.
This was such a fun visit for me, finally getting to meet her family! I'd talked to them on the phone, I got pictures of them, and now, we were all together!
I went off to college that summer and Ashley was there to give me advice and hear every detail. We decided we would *try* to plan a visit every year, somehow...
I am 21 now, and I am in college. She is 29, with three years of military wife experience under her belt, and her family has expanded from three to five. We have been friends for seven years this year, and we have seen each other five times. In a month, I will be going to California for a glorious five days to spend time with her again, making six times. I could not be more excited.
You see, Ashley and I aren't just roleplaying buddies. We are best friends, giving and taking and uplifting and encouraging and loving through all faults. We are sisters, joined by life, supporting each other through all but always speaking up against anything that is not the best for each other. Her kids call me "Aunt V", and even though I am far away I want them to ALWAYS know that I love them, am proud of them, and support them through everything. I am so excited to see them become who they are meant to be. Someday, I hope she is an Aunt to my kids...
Our friendship isn't a relationship, it is a connection, one we work hard to maintain. Skype, care packages, talking everyday, marking things with a heart...our friendship is a priority. It is a special, beautiful thing and I have no doubt that she was sent to me by someone special. People think our relationship is weird...
But I think I am pretty damn lucky.
There are parts of my life that I tend to keep private because they just aren't acceptable to talk about. However in this day and age, the suppressed secrets are the most celebrated. With the popularity of MTV's critically acclaimed show, Catfish, people have become more accepting of the personalities met online.
Call this a Catfish Story.
Call this a True Life Story.
My best friend is eight years older than me, and we met online...seven years ago.
I was 14 at the time. It was the era of myspace. The frenzy of AIM chat rooms was dying down but AIM was still a popular instant messaging tool. Xanga had run its course about a year or two prior, but being the lover of words and recollection that I am, I continued to use it to blog about my daily Junior High escapades.
I was at that age where I was no longer playing games on the home computer, but participating in social media. I took twenty of the same photo for my profile picture, I posted broody song lyrics as the title to surveys. I didn't just have a social media identity, I had a secret roleplaying one too.
People think of role playing as something sick, sometimes sexual, and you are definitely classified as a nerd if you do so. Roleplaying on Xanga was innocent fun. Harry Potter was the big thing at the time. You create a scenario-Harry's fourth year, during the Tri-Wizard tournament. You create a list of characters, and people chose to be those characters. They create biographies, find a celebrity to portray the character, and interact with other characters through comments and narratives. When I first started, a roleplaying conversation went something like this.
:Ginny leans in and kisses Harry, then laughs: "I think I'm bad at this."
Today, it has evolved into a full on story.
Ginny leaned in, kissing Harry, her long, fiery red hair covering their faces, in case any of her brothers walked by. As if that hair was so inconspicuous...
She pulled away after a moment, chuckling, a rosy tint to her cheeks. "I think I'm bad at this."
Roleplaying was an interactive story, where you remained in character online. There was romance, friendships, enemies. Teachers, students. All in a Harry Potter related world. A magical world.
 |
| Roger Davies of Hogwarts 6288 |
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| Sarah Fawcett of Hogwarts 6288 |
She was 22, living in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Jb, and their fifteen month old daughter,
Payton Annabelle. She had a Golden Retriever, Jupiter, and a cat, Patches...I'm not sure if it was a boy or girl because she always called it both. She had a younger sister who was my age.
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| One of the first pictures I saw of Ashley, May 2006 |
And then one day...we started talking on the phone. A short conversations turned into ones that lasted hours. We talked about music. I was going through my "rock" stage and she had tons of recommendations. We liked the same kind of books. We both loved One Tree Hill. (I got a late start, but it was her who introduced me to it.) She gave me advice on my high school problems, I listened as she vented about her life at the time. I was the first person to know she was pregnant with her second child. We talked about literally everything.
People have tried to say she was a mentor, an older sister type figure...No. She was, and is, my best friend. There was nothing weird or creepy about our relationship because we saw each other as equals.
I continued to roleplay all through high school, only taking a short break somewhere around my sophomore and junior year. The roleplaying world now catered to Twilight, haunted islands, mental facilities, but people were slowly slipping away, back into the real world. Ashley and I were not unusual, there were lots of girls who were best friends through roleplaying and had the same type of relationship.
We talked frequently, through phone calls, texts, even skype!
Then, in 2010 I begged my parents to let me fly to see a Nicholas Sparks movie with her, because the author is one we loved, and the story line was close to our hearts, as we were both with military men.
The answer was no.
But in June of 2010, she made the 12 hour drive to see me walk across the stage for my high school graduation.
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| My best friend, in my room!!! 2012 |
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| Our first picture together, with her sister, 2010 |
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| Best Friends Forever, 2010 |
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| Celebrating this milestone with my best friend, 2010 |
Six weeks later, we got to meet up again, as Ashley and her family moved across the country for her husband's naval orders. We had lunch together at a burger joint and walked around for a bit before parting ways.
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| Ashley's new baby, Kiera, 2010 |
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| Me and Ashley's daughter, 2010 |
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| Ashley's son, Ashley, and I, 2010. |
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| "Our" husband JB, 2010. |
This was such a fun visit for me, finally getting to meet her family! I'd talked to them on the phone, I got pictures of them, and now, we were all together!
I went off to college that summer and Ashley was there to give me advice and hear every detail. We decided we would *try* to plan a visit every year, somehow...
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| A California Adventure, 2011. |
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| Lunch with the kiddos, 2011 |
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| Fun on the Beach, 2011 |
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| The Final Harry Potter Premiere, 2011 |
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| Look who stopped by on her way back to Califonia! February 2012 |
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| Ashley and her two month old in my apartment, March 2013. |
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| Some quiet "Aunt" time, March 2013. |
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| Best Friend Time! March 2013 |
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| See you in 8 weeks, BFF! March 2013 |
You see, Ashley and I aren't just roleplaying buddies. We are best friends, giving and taking and uplifting and encouraging and loving through all faults. We are sisters, joined by life, supporting each other through all but always speaking up against anything that is not the best for each other. Her kids call me "Aunt V", and even though I am far away I want them to ALWAYS know that I love them, am proud of them, and support them through everything. I am so excited to see them become who they are meant to be. Someday, I hope she is an Aunt to my kids...
Our friendship isn't a relationship, it is a connection, one we work hard to maintain. Skype, care packages, talking everyday, marking things with a heart...our friendship is a priority. It is a special, beautiful thing and I have no doubt that she was sent to me by someone special. People think our relationship is weird...
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