I'm in Love with Fall!

"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. "
 - George Eliot

I love Fall! I love to watch the leaves change colors. The colors of fall speak to me. I want to tell you what the beautiful leaves of Autumn say to me:

 

I made this world and everything in it. 

I could have chosen just one season.

But I didn't.

I decided the world would have seasons.

You get something to look forward to - a change you can see coming.

You get variety and consistency.

I love you.

I could have made this world in black and white with shades of gray. 

But I didn't.

I made this world full of color. 

You get to enjoy the reds, oranges, and yellows of fall.

You get beauty and living art to enjoy in your busiest time of the year.

You get beauty and rest.

 I love you.

 When you see the seasons change, do you think of Me?

When the leaves change color, do you think of the good things I've brought into your life?

Do you slow down even a little to enjoy the beauty around you? 

Do you slow down to remember

I love you?

Linking up with Pour Your Heart Out.

Don't Let My Curly Hair Fool You

I have naturally curly hair. It's big; it's wild; and folks love it. I get all kinds of compliments on my curly hair as if I did some magical thing to make my hair do what it does.

Can't live without this product!

Do you want the truth? My curls owe all their fabulous-ness to the product I use. My hairdresser told me about Mixed Chicks a few years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. Without the right product, my hair would be one giant frizz ball. Not to sound like a commercial for Mixed Chicks or anything, but I do swear by it to make my curls look good.

You know how no one would dare reach out and touch a stranger's stomach, but pregnancy seems to make it ok to touch a woman's belly? Curly hair is like that. Most people wouldn't reach out and touch someone else's hair. But when your hair is wild and curly, the same rules don't necessarily apply. People love to scrunch my curls or pull on them to watch them bounce back. I'm not kidding.

In case you know me in real life, you should know that I don't really mind. If I did, I'd tell you.

In addition to breaking the personal space rules, I've learned that curly hair sends a message to others about my personality. Folks see my curls and think I'm a fun, carefree, open book. I've been called an extroverted extrovert.

Love my curls - but there is more to me than my curls

My curls have labeled me.

Yes, my hair is curly. Yes, the message that it sends about my personality is partly true. But there is more to me than my outgoing personality.

Sometimes I'm not in the mood to be outgoing.
Sometimes I really need to stay home and soak up some quiet.
Sometimes I don't want to socialize or make others laugh.
Sometimes I want to sit in the corner and watch. And that's ok.

I'm more than my curly hair. And living with the label that comes with it can be exhausting. I feel compelled to perform. As if being quiet, reserved or uncertain are just not options for me.

Seriously? A whole post about curly hair? Where am I going with this?

I've been giving a lot of thought to labels lately. My friend Susan wrote a fantastic post about labels and the positive and negative ways they impact our lives.

We all have labels (self-imposed labels and those given to us by others). The label that comes with my hair is minor compared to the labels that others have to live with.

Here's my encouragement to you today:

Do you have labels you don't want to wear? It's ok to shed them! It's ok not to be the person others are telling you to be! God has created you in a unique way! Be who He wants you to be!

Whether the labels are self-imposed or pasted on you by others, be sure they are labels you want to wear proudly. If they are, relish them! Enjoy being that person!

What about you? What labels do you wish you could shed? Which ones are you happy about? I always love to hear what you have to say!



Linking up with Pour Your Heart Out.

The Party Where Time Went Backward

"Yes'm, old friends is always best, 'less you can catch a new one that's fit to make an old one out of. "
 - Sarah Orne Jewett

Me in the group picture

Last night was so much fun. Some old friends who had moved away were in town visiting. They put out the call on Facebook for us all to get together for dinner. I agreed right away because I never turn down a party. But I wondered if it would be awkward. 

They moved away seven years ago. A lot changes in seven years. Babies are born, children go away to college, people lose touch with each other. Would it be weird, all of us being together again? What would we talk about? 

I won't deny that there was some weirdness. It was like someone froze time, opened the curtain to the past, and grabbed a few pieces of it. Then those pieces were all dropped into our laps to enjoy all over again. There was a very "twilight zone" feeling to all of us being together again. I wanted to bottle it to bring the feeling home. I felt like if I could just walk around the room and touch everyone, maybe I could freeze the moment to keep with me. Does that make any sense?

When my friends lived here, we were all so close. We formed bonds that could only be created under the very specific circumstances we found ourselves in at that time. 

And last night, we all picked up right where we left off. It was such a good time! We were laughing and joking with each other like seven years had never passed. The changes we have all experienced didn't affect our friendship in the least! What a gift! 

I wish my friends lived closer. I wish we could see each other more often. But knowing that time and distance can't really change the bonds we all made years ago, is a very comforting thought. 

Being reminded of precious past relationships makes me want to do a better job with the friendships I have now. I want to make sure that I am allowing the time and energy necessary for those bonds to grow strong and deep. It's difficult in this busy life I'm living, but, as last night showed, totally worth it.

The other really great thing about seeing old friends - they kept telling me how great I looked! I was called gorgeous more times last night than in a normal year! I really need to see these people more often. 

Me at the party - not posting a pic from 7 years ago

But it makes me wonder - how ugly was I seven years ago?