You are altogether beautiful...

This first post will be a quick one. I don't have a lot to say but I want to take a moment to tell whoever I can about one of the greatest girls I know.

160 miles to Yuma on I-8, just Paola and me. I want to fall asleep until shawty starts talking. At 16 years old, her life is math, english, history, dance (with her partner in crime, Lauren)... She tells me about tests, rehearsals, things that are important to her. One thing that really stuck out to me was talking about how girls compare; there's something that doesn't change with age. She's talking about grades, how quickly they pick up on dances, etc. and I think of how many women I know feel good/ashamed because of their degrees, jobs, houses, the list goes on.

We traded outfits to fool Paola's friend one day. It worked!

Paola and I are alike in a lot of ways. We're soft-spoken, mellow, generally happy, we look like duplicates. She's been approached more than once by friends of mine who greet her excitedly and say something like, "I didn't know you were in town!"

Thankfully, Paola's got a little (or a lot) more figured out than I did at her age. At 16, I was uptight, NOT OK with being single, convinced I was ugly, hypocritical, and cynical. Most of my high school friends would be surprised by that because that's the kind of thing a girl can keep secret! Most of those things affected just my thoughts, so that means it's OK, right? As long as you don't insult anyone out loud you're not really insulting them... ehhh I'm going to say wrong. The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Most things I was harboring came out at some point, and whether it wound up with someone's feelings hurt or giving me a look that said, "What's your problem," it wasn't good.

I'm happy for the Paolas of the world who learn early on how good it is to know their own value and to be content with what they have. You know to enjoy life and bring others up with you.

But how do the rest of us get over insecurities? Things we're embarrassed about? Unhappy about? It's not as easy as telling myself, "Don't be jealous of her. Be happy for her." We need to be convinced about the truth about ourselves and that comes with time. You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. God didn't make any mistakes when He designed our looks, personalities, abilities or disabilities. I'm thankful for friends (the Paolas I know) who have helped me realize the truth and for God's Word - nothin' but truth!