Oh, Daddy

Daddy was never the type
To sit on the porch with a shotgun
When guys would come around
Well, maybe he should have been

But don't you worry, Daddy
He didn't hurt me that bad

Daddy was never the one
Who said to stay away
When a boy was bad news
Daddy was the first with the wandering hands

But don't you worry, Daddy
You didn't hurt me that bad

Daddy was the one
Who taught me how to pick 'em
The ones that have the power
To break you and use you

But don't you worry, Daddy
It didn't hurt me that bad

Daddy wasn't there
To walk me down the aisle
To the man I found
To trust with my heart

And don't you worry, Daddy
He doesn't hurt me that bad

To Revive Love

How tragic it is that hearts wounded too often in love become jaded and cynical. We are all guilty of breaking hearts and we are all possessors of a heart that has been broken.

So few believe in the possibility, the existence of true love. Yet certainly it is not a conjured notion, for the heart cannot proclaim what has never existed.

My heart breaks for those too heartbroken to believe that love is real and true. Its power and wonder can permeate the whole of life if you allow it. Simultaneously my heart is angered by those so jaded that they speak out in cynicism against love.

How to reach out to these souls and reassure them of the great joy they can attain? Perhaps it is only through living life in a constant demonstration of love. Therefore resolve, my soul, to renew love in hardened hearts through your own.

You Know What Assuming Does....

I'm amazed over and over again in life at how my assumptions are proven wrong.

What is it that causes us to make judgments about people without knowing them? The weakness and insecurities in us feel the need to place judgments on others in order to divert people's attention from ourselves.

We assume because we lack intelligence. I am always humbled when my assumptions are proven wrong.

A small percentage of a certain group of people causes us to assume that everyone from that race, religion, creed, or color are the same. How silly and shallow of us to assume that all bald guys are scary, all military men are players, all cowboys are backward and uneducated, all lesbians are hostile, all artists are narcissistic...

Perhaps in making that list I have perjured myself by revealing the assumptions I have succumbed to.

Rather than assume the worst of someone, we ought to seek to find all the good in a person. What a tremendous difference this will have in all our interactions with others.

Good at Heart

Be forewarned: this entry may sound very hippie-esque. :)

My hypothesis is this: that all people are good at heart, and that if we look, we will discover what we have in common with every person that makes their way into our lives.

Yes I believe that each person we interact with comes into our lives for a reason, and that one word of kindness can change someone's life forever. I remember random sentences or someone's attitude that have had a powerful impact on my life to this day.

Imagine the power we hold in ourselves, to be able to change so many lives for the better. Touching a life doesn't require saving someone about to jump off a bridge or being a missionary. Mother Teresa said to do small things with great love. Once, I Hindu man asked Mother Teresa how she could take such devoted care of him despite their religious differences. She replied, "Because I see God in you, and I love you." Her simple attitude of life changed the world.

Each day brings new opportunities to smile at a stranger, to quietly perform an act of kindness for someone. If we focus on what is different in everyone else or what we dislike about them, how can we expect to be loved, appreciated, and respected? Our thoughts influence our actions toward others.

Do whatever is within your means. Look for the countless opportunities to perform an act of kindness throughout each day. Look for the good in others; even if it is difficult to see, they are people worthy of kindness and respect. Perhaps you will be the wearer of a smile that changes a life today. :)

I'm Crazy For This Boy

Its no special milestone or anything, just our 3 month anniversary. I'm just writing a little tribute to the man who has stolen my heart, the better half of my soul, Reid.

Its pretty common knowledge that I've had one too many disastrous run-ins with jerks, whether it be their fault or mine or both. I was reserved but immediately intrigued when a handsome boy sent me a friend request on Facebook.

After the first conversation I had with Reid, every inhibition I had disappeared. There was a little turmoil among my friends when I announced shortly after accepting that friend request that I was flying to Washington to spend 10 days with this handsome boy. But I knew I was head over heels for him. I took a risk. And oh, my, how it has paid off beyond my wildest dreams.

He knows I'm crazy. He's had to deal with my crazy streak firsthand so many times. But he sees right through the crazy to my heart. He knows when I'm justifiably upset and when I'm being irrational, and he knows just how to talk to me during the latter. He doesn't love me in spite of it. He loves me because of it. He knows passion and beauty have a feisty side. He loves me. Period.

From 1,000 miles away he still manages to be near and present and helpful whenever I need him. I can't remember what I did before I had him to lean on.

He is selfless, disciplined, honest, tactful, big-hearted, goal-oriented, hard-working, focused, rational, and both knowledgeable and wise. He is all of the attributes I aspire to. And he chose to love me, so obviously part of him is just as crazy as me. :)

So, for no particular reason, I thought I should proclaim to the world how perfectly amazing my man is. I am honored and humbled that such a virtuous, irreproachable man decided to make me his.

I'm crazy for you, Reid. Thanks for the best 3 months of my life. I can't wait for the rest of forever with you.