Sunday, August 16, 2009

Forever Changed (Nie Nie hike to Y mountain)

Today I am trying to come up with the words to express how I am feeling. Yesterday I took the children and we hiked Y mountain in support of a woman I have come to deeply love and admire over the last year. Her Name is Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson, known in the blogging world as Nie Nie. I've spent the last several hours thinking A LOT!

Lately my age has been getting to me. I look in the mirror and I see my age creeping in. I smile and I see lines where I once had smooth skin. Botox is always on my mind. Okay maybe not always, but more then it was a year ago. I think maybe if I get a little of that everything will be better. Sure! Botox the new cure all. My boobs are droopy and my belly flabby. I guess I could due some sit ups for the belly but the boobs are a lost cause. I feel like I'm falling into the hole society has created. You see, society wants to makes each of us to one degree or another think that our happiness is found in a Botox syringe or a boob job. Everywhere you look you see billboards, TV and magazine covers that promote an image that few of us really have or could ever have. Is that really happiness? Are those people really happy? I think not! Well maybe some of them are, I mean who am I to judge them? Yet millions of us everyday are falling into that trap. We have literally been lead to believe that all our problems can be solved if we are skinny with big boobs, long lushes hair and perfect skin. I know this isn't true, but I would be a liar if I said I haven't thought about it.

So back to Nie Nie. Meeting her has changed me FOREVER. The beauty of the "WORLD" has been taken from her,but the beauty that she radiates is blinding. As I looked into her eyes I saw the pure love of Christ. I never have felt such a power radiate from any ones eyes like I felt from hers. Her beauty was breath taking. This woman has taken a very negative experience in her life and turned it into something positive. Think how easy it would have been for her to hide off in a corner and spend the rest of her life in sadness. No, she gets it! Happiness is not big boobs or botox it's not fancy cars or big houses or name brand purses. It's love! It's family! It's friendship! It's GOD! These are the things that really matter in life and she has all of them. I'm not feeling the need to "look prettier" anymore. I am however feeling the need to be a better wife, a better mother, a better sister, a better daughter,and a better friend. Everyday is a gift, it is our choice what we do with that gift. Thank you Nie Nie for reminding me of what really matters. I will forever love you and forever be changed. I know you have a beautiful life and thanks to your courage so will so many others.