Ffiteen

Dear fifteen year old self:

     Happy birthday, sister sue! Today is the day- the big 28. I know it seems light years away, but you will get there. Promise. I was listening to the radio and a song came on, "Fifteen". Its a song to your fifteen year old self, however with a few pointers. I thought I'd take a little time and write to you. You know, giving you a couple of tips. I mean, why jump in the mud puddle if you don't have to.

-Actually listen to dad. Slow down. And don't be so heavy on the brake. You will get in a couple of fender benders. Yes, they are your fault.

- I know, I know! Its important to study. Duh. But please, take the time to go out every once in awhile in high school. I mean it. Its not going to kill you. Don't be so vanilla. In fact, I know you are going to surprise yourself. Making excuses for the good times that you could POSSIBLY be having is ridiculous.

- That guy in high school English? Yeah, the cute one? I know you're on the fence about him. Date him. In the end, you will get your heart broken. You will cry and listen to stuff like Boys II Men. I know, you don't even like Boys II Men. It will feel like a huge blow.You will not understand and it will be his loss, but that is ok. Its just a rite of passage. You will learn , no, actually realize, for the first time, how powerful feelings really can be.

- Let me just help you out now. Invest yourself in some curl cream, frizz control serum and a flat iron. Either your hair can be naturally curly like Andie McDowell OR flat flat flat. Poufy is not an option.

-Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. Really. You don't have to have all your crap together. It will take you at least the next 10+ years to figure this one out, if you don't listen to me now.

- Glitter body lotion doesn't look good on anyone. At all.

- Your faith. Don't, don't lose sight of it. It is ok to question it. In fact, when you get to college, you will question it. You will question it even more when you get out. That is ok. It means you are growing. Its hard to see that right now, when you are amidst the superficial youth group. Keep going to Bible study, keep hanging out with good quality friends. But make the right decisions for you. Pray about it, seek some guidance, and move on. Sometimes He calls us to jump. Jump, damn it.

- Speaking of college- don't start off as a pharmacy major. That is a 1.4 GPA headache at home. The parentals will not be happy. Pick something like..... speech pathology? Just a hunch...

- The guy from theater class. Nope. Not worth it.

-Your first job will be the current job that you have. You will absolutely love it. Start getting excited! When they tell you how much you will be making- cheer!! Scream! Call mom!! Hooray. Can you believe it? Benefits?? Just know that it will get better.

- When you get that job, little will you know that you will be working with some of your best friends. Speak to them! You will only be best friends with them sooner! Believe it or not, they will be a source of faith and comfort in the next few years. And they will go to see Twilight with you. More about that in a few years...

- Don't worry about grad school. He will provide a way, the finances and the talents for you to go. Remember to thank Him everyday for the passion you love.

- For the love of Pete, STOP buying Target blouses. Yes, they are cute- I know. They tear up easily. And you spend more money. It will be a vicious cycle. Just stop. Target shoes, however, you're still golden.

- Your twenty's will be an exact opposite of emotions. You will both experience a love for a person so deep that it becomes your only sight but also heartache so painful it leaves you blinded. Sigh. You will still be on the wave at 28. Know this. Life is to short for grief. Life is to short to be alone. And life is to short to be without Him.

I hope this helps you. Fifteen is rough, but you will be fine. I love you!

      -L

P.S. and for God's sake, stand up! Pull your boobies back, you have some awful posture!
 

Toes-ies Out.. and Twitter..

Just a few thoughts today...

The weather has been so nice lately. Warm and spring like, here in the armpit of America  the South, but let me ask you an all important question.

Are your toes-ies out yet? Have you christened your sandal collection yet? And when do YOU decide to let 'em loose?

(Disclaimer: those are NOT mine)

I am always wondering if today, or tomorrow, or the next day will be the day to let out my insanely pale, shriveled winter feet. Growing up, Emmy wouldn't let me rock my clunky, too big, 8th grade Steve Maddens until at LEAST after Spring Break. Oh, woe, the adolescent torture. Now, considering my own break is a month away, I don't know when will be a good time.

After Easter?

After the last "cold snap" (also something only mothers say)?

Do you give into peer pressure and break in your sandals when your friends do?

Your co-workers?

Or when the lady at church with the Velociraptor 2nd toe does?

(Yeah, you know what I'm talking about)

I'm feeling a trip to the nail salon bubbling up...

In COMPLETELY unrelated news, I'm toying with the Twitter idea.

A slave to social media, it intrigues me.

Translate: In my mind, Jimmy Fallon and I are already friends, who carry on legit conversations via Twitter.

One can dream....

EPL Nugget

You guys know I'm always reading.

On a whim, I picked up Eat Pray Love while running around Goodwill.

It was .99, so, mehh, why not read it?

It's not too bad. Alot of reading her personal thoughts on her quest for pleasure, meditation and the balance between them, while she visits some suh-weet countries. 

A bit hokie in some parts, but I can relate as I want to be a better me, too.

In the middle of a particularly heavy section of Yoga poses and Ommmmm's, I found a fan-tab-ulous little passage that I've been thinking and praying about. It just really spoke to me. It's just the right amount for a long run on the treadmill.

"Destiny, I feel, is also a relationship- a play between divine grace and willfull self-effort. Half of it you have no control over, half of it is absolutely in your hands, and your actions will show measurable consequence. Man is neither entirely a puppet of the gods, nor is he entirely the captain of his own destiny; he's a little of both. We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses-one foot is on the horse called "fate", the other on the horse called "free will". And the question you have to ask every day is - which horse is which? Which horse do I need to stop worrying about because it's not under my control, and which do I need to steer with concentrated effort?

There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under my jurisdiciton. There are certain lottery tickets I can buy, thereby increasing my odds of finding contentment. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can eat and read and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life- whether I will see them as curses or opportunities ( and on the occasions when I can't rise to the most optimistic viewpoint, because I'm feeling too damn sorry for myself, I can choose to keep trying to change my outlook). I can choose my words and the tone of my voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts."

                                                                                  --Eat Pray Love

  Everyone has hard times, but I am learning to be able to choose the high road. Be the better person. Choose the right attitude. And then as a reward, choose the right pair of on-sale shoes.

Kidding.

Kinda.