1. Chivalry

Waiting tables, I have the opportunity to peer into people’s lives for a brief moment of time. Seeing a man stand up every time a woman leaves or sits down at a table amongst the rush and hustle and “feminism” ridiculousness of the world today warms my heart like no other. Watching a 25 year old man refuse to let you open any door by yourself, carrying every suitcase or bag of groceries because he believes you shouldn’t have to and walking in-between you and passing cars speaks to the princess I am. It makes me appreciate my southern culture that much more and reminds me of the romance still left in the world.

2. Color

I’ve been getting lost in the amount and depth and beauty of colors in this world. Take a look at your hand. It’s not the peach crayon you find in the box of 60 Crayolas. It’s a beautiful mixture of yellows and greens and pinks and oranges and blues and purples. It isn’t summed up into one manufactured top coat that was the easiest and cheapest and quickest to produce; it was created specifically for you. A mixture of colors that reflects a specific characteristic of your Father.

3. Nighttime Beauties

I hate being cold. Hate it. And yet, there’s something so beautiful about the crisp winter night that has made me stop and smile. It’s as if that coldness makes the stars shine a bit brighter as they dance and laugh with exhilaration, it seems to make the clouds get lost in the moon as they reflect the light it holds. The way a fire looks and feels as it adds warmth to your toes and steals your gaze away from everything else. Snow isn’t too common here in Texas, but this year I was blessed to experience my first white Christmas. The purity that that color represents brings a peace to the world and a beauty to Christmas lights that wasn’t there before.

4. Fathers and daughters.

I’m a daughter; of an earthly man and a Heavenly God and this weekend I began to love more and more the delight that a Father brings to his daughter, in the same way she delights him. I’ve watched them dance and laugh and love the moment they are in together. I’ve realized the utmost importance a Father plays in his child’s life; the way that he is the first impression of God as Father that she has. It can change her and strengthen her, encourage and challenge her. He has the power to help her believe she is the princess she was created to be. His love can change her life, the way our Father’s love changes mine every day.

5. Simple Moments

There are so many times when we are blatantly and rudely reminded of how different we are all. The world seems to strive for difference, refusing to fit into any stereotype or group or whatever, scoffing at the thought that maybe we aren’t that different after all. So those moments where we are all in one concert passing huge balloons back and forth, laughing at the same joke, dancing with 25,000 other people to the same song and sharing one brief but oh so beautiful moment together, that instant where our lives are so deeply and utterly connected because of where we are and what we believe makes me stop in my tracks. It makes me wonder if maybe we are all in this together.

***

Vanessa is a born and bred, through and through Texan, loving it more with each passing day. An artist by major and a traveler by heart; a spontaneous “winger” by spirit and principle. She believe this life is meant to hold adventure in every waking moment but too often we find ourselves closing our eyesto the light and our bodies moving to the hum-drum of memorized motions. She’s a lover of cowboys boots and dresses while white v-necks will always be the staple in her closet. She eats more chocolate than necessary and would gladly live out of a truck and backpack if a hammock was included. The World Race was a great step towards changing her life and helping her fall in love with Jesus and she can’t wait to see what the new year brings. Feel free to follow her at www.theunscriptedwing.com

(If you’d like to be featured on The Loveliest Things- send me an email! Stephanielouisemay@gmail.com)