In This Skin

The older I get, the more anchored I am.

Many of my younger years were spent figuring out who I am, as opposed to who I should be or who I wanted to be. Unfortunately for me, those three people were not the same.

One small part of my story sticks out in my memory. Freckles. For the longest time, freckles were the bane of my existence. (Tough life, right?)

They were noticeable enough on a normal day. Summertime was a disaster. A minute bit of sunlight only acted as a freckle-enhancing agent. There was not enough makeup in the world to cover up the spots blanketing my face. And God knows I tried. In all of my teenage angst, I tried and tried to rid myself of the dreaded spots.

Now that I've aged considerably, however, they don't bother me. Sure...it would be nice if they didn't overwhelm my face when the weather warms. I would also like to have thicker, shinier hair and a much smaller waist. But I'm learning that none of that truly matters. Ultimately, those things will have no effect on the outcome of my existence.

I am "God's masterpiece." He has created me to do the things He had planned long ago. He has created me for a higher purpose. He has created YOU for a higher purpose.

It took a long time, but I finally understand that I am loved, adored, and cherished by God. He knows the (diminishing) number of hairs on my head, the (growing) number of freckles on my face, and the secrets of my heart. AND HE LOVES ME JUST THE SAME.

That is what makes me comfortable in my skin.

Dreamer

You may think I'm a dreamer.



I've flown across London with Peter and Wendy.

I've lived recklessly with Daisy and Gatsby.

I've traipsed the moors with the Brontes.

I've had tea with white rabbits and mad hatters.

I've watched discrimination unfold with Scout and Jem.

I've ridden a sad train with Anna Karenina.

I've waited for love with the Bennett sisters.

I've been taught to rule by Machiavelli.

I've struggled to breathe with Esther Greenwood.

I've sailed the seas with Captain Aubrey.

I've had an awakening with Edna.

I've reflected on duty and dignity with English butlers. 

I've walked a long, yellow-brick road.

I've grown up with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. 

I've traveled to Narnia and back again.

You may think I'm a dreamer.

I am.

When I'm really into a novel, I'm seeing the world differently during that time—not just for the hour or so in the day when I get to read. I'm actually walking around in a bit of a haze, spellbound by the book and looking at everything through a different prism.

                                                                         -Colin Firth

It's In the Air

Take a deep breath.

Do you smell it?

Do you see it?

Do you feel it?

It's fall. It's coming.

I woke this morning, and I felt fall for the first time this year. Something about the light coming through my bedroom window sent waves of happiness through me. Each year, I can tell how close autumn is by the sunlight. Slightly imperceptible changes they may be, but I see them. 

I'm sure there is some kind of methodical, scientific explanation to describe the changes of the light, like Earth's rotations and revolutions, and the tilt of its axis. None of it matters. 

What matters is that fall is near, and I can feel it in the air.