Who I AM

A few years ago after my divorce and as I was beginning to live life again, I sat down on my back patio and I began to write a series about who I am and what I believe. No matter how silly it was, I said I would write down all the things I knew for sure about myself in an effort to get to know me as a person alone - not part of a couple, not identified by the presence of another.

Today I felt it important that I post this again....for myself. I needed a reminder of Who I am and what makes my heart sing. I deserve happiness and I deserve love. I do not deserve half-attempts and idle patronization.

Thanks for reading!

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What I believe:

I believe in love and the sanctity of marriage, sheets with high thread counts, French milled soap and washing your face at night. I believe in honesty and fidelity and little girls wearing seersucker dresses in the summertime. I believe in schedules and nap time and discipline tempered with love. I believe in barbeques with music and that Tide is the best laundry detergent.

I believe in the Golden Rule and offering smiles to those who wish you ill. I believe in being there in times of crisis or trouble and to think before you speak. I believe there is a soul mate for each person and that our lives are predestined. I believe in Comet for the kitchen sink and scrubbing pots by hand.

I believe in Christmas and the beauty of family. I believe in treating guests like royalty and putting flowers in the house; in doing rather than expecting and staying up late sometimes just to talk it out.

I believe in staying in the shower sometimes just to use up all the hot water; stepping out pink and glowing from overindulgence. I believe dogs know character and give unconditional love; that French is the most beautiful language on earth and Mozart does expand the mind.

I believe in good wine and cheese, that perfect fried chicken can only be made by fine Christian women in the South and that coleslaw should have celery seeds in it because that is how my mom makes it. I believe in beach vacations and watching sunsets with someone you love, honoring your mother and father and being a good partner to those you involve yourself with.

I believe in walking city streets at night and trying something different on the menu, to take chances in love and to get on an airplane to someplace fulfilling as often as you can. I believe in spirituality and that God exists in the simple things in life.

I believe there is a moment of perfect silence when a child is born. I have experienced that first hand and it is monumental. I believe in expression and that modern art is sometimes a fluke; Paris is the most beautiful city I have ever seen and that I give unconditional love to those who are deserving of it. I don’t believe love means never having to say you are sorry – I believe it means having to say you are sorry more than you want to.

I believe in gold bands over fancy diamond rings, although I would rather have a small perfect diamond than a big cubic zirconia. I believe in good stationary and the art of writing letters to those who need it and don’t expect it. I believe in keeping your mouth shut when you don’t know what you are talking about and never putting people down making them feel less than so you can feel more than.

I believe in Sunday mornings with God and music and the paper and a really good cup of coffee, in the beauty of springtime and that my Mother is goodness in human form. I believe that Marjorie Brown was the greatest influence in my life and that I have the capacity to love more than most.

I am sure there are other items I can add to this list as I think about them, but if you want to know me, this is a pretty good place to start.

Mellissa