A Simple Girl's Dream

I have tried to dress it up, but it seems that I always come back to the fact that I am a simple girl. Not simple minded, not uneducated, but just simple in the joys of life. I like front porch swings, wooded trails for hiking and running, waterfalls, and the sound of crickets chirping in the night air. It seems that I crave a slower pace of life than our current society offers and therefore I constantly wrestle with being accomplished versus being filled with joy.  I mean let’s face it, hanging out on a creek bed off a wooded trail mostly likely isn't helping to provide for my family unless of course I were there catching dinner AND that’s not the case.

It isn’t often that you will find me decked out in jewelry or wearing the latest fashions.  I’ve tried because there are some gorgeous designs out there that I wish I could rock!  Every time I try I feel overdone; yet just being “simple me” seems to be less than this world says that I should be. Now please understand, I love women that can pull off great fashions with matching accessories which is why I continually try to make it happen. It just doesn’t work for me. I’ve found that I could seriously take some flip flops, couple them with a comfy tee and some jeans and call myself dressed up. Now this doesn’t mean that I run around town in a sloppy manner or carry myself without dignity.  Me being not overly accessorized, just happens to be the place I feel most confident and most real.

So I got to thinking about all of this and how each of us are different.  There may be some that would never step foot on a wooded trail or step out of the house without being completely accessorized, and that’s awesome. It is okay to be different. It is okay to have your own style. It’s okay to enjoy a different pace of life. It makes you who you are!

Here is what is not okay.  It’s not okay to diminish a person’s worth because they choose a different style than you. Press in and listen up!

Here is an excerpt for Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

This quote made me think how we as ladies discriminate against one another and it is often merely by outward appearance. The stay at home mom can’t understand why the mother of two is a CEO of a major corporation rather than home with her children. The girl sitting in her running shoes is looked down on as the lady in stilettos walks by. The slim toned fitness minded chic at the gym has no empathy for the overweight lady attempting to walk a mile on the treadmill. And the list could go on.  I know that was brutal. It hit me hard too, but here is the truth: our world would be much better off if we would reach out a hand of support rather than offering up a glare of judgement. Now there is much to be said about surrounding yourself with friends that support you and do not cause your insecurities to flare and be on high alert, but that is not what I am talking about here.  I am merely talking about taking a moment out of your day to share a smile, listen to someone’s story, or give a shout of encouragement.  One simple act really could change the course of a person’s day!

Reach out and lift others up … it’s just a simple girl’s dream!