Walking among the clouds

When I was flying home, I was lucky enough to have the window seat. Usually I don't care whether or not I have the window seat. But this time, I was in a row all by myself and something told me to scoot over towards the window.

It was a lovely Sunday evening and I was flying from Charlotte to Cleveland and I was anxious to get home.Typically when I fly, I always send out a quick prayer for a safe flight and for God to look over my family. But this time, I think God granted me an impromptu blessing.

I was blessed with the opportunity of imagining myself walking among the clouds. As I looked out of the window, the sun was slowly setting and the clouds looked like huge white cotton balls rolling around in the air like tumbleweeds. Some were white and fluffy like cotton candy, while others were soft, feathery and stretch across the sky.

My God, I wish I could step out and feel the them. It was like I was being teased by their beauty, but only to remain untouched. It was awesome to watch these clouds float above the ground.

At times, I can see the ground below and I began to realize our small significance in this expansive universe. And then I began to imagine myself as a giant and walking on the ground with my large body and grand feet. 

As the evening sun was lingering in the sky, giving up its last chance of daylight, I was able to see the shadow of our plane moving among the clouds high above the ground. Finally towards the end of my flight, this time I found myself thanking God for this lovely view and the rare opportunity to fly among the clouds.

An ode to Savannah...

So I'm in beautiful Savannah, Ga...it's very hot and sultry in this small charming city. I don't know why I love Savannah. But it's beautiful and rustic....it's old and seductive. As my mom and I are walking along Bay Street,I was amazed by the charm and simple irony of the new and the old. There are modern day cars and trucks whizzing by old buildings and landscapes that have been around since beginning of our country. We were surrounded by wonderful Spanish Moss that were sprawled across the trees like century old lovers.

We walked into an antique shop on Bay St. and we were greeted with a sincere and inviting, "Hi y'all..." It was warm and thick with a southern brogue. As we walk around the antique store, I could smell the ocean air and I tried to imagine the ghosts of yesterday among the antiques and the stories behind the vintage treasures. As we are leaving the shop, we hear "Have a nice day, y'all!" Thanks to the southern sentimentality, you learn your manners quickly, "Thanks, you too." I said sincerely.

I love Savannah. I don't know why. But I do love this city. Perhaps it's the mixed of the old and new. Perhaps it's the charm of Bay and River Streets. Or perhaps, it's the endless historical squares and lush green parks like Forsythe Park that reminds me of a time long ago. In the end, there is one thing I do know...that one day, thanks to my love for Savannah, I hope that this will be the beautiful enchanting city where I will marry my best friend.

Girl Power!!

"...a little kindness can go a long way."~Caitlan Boyle, Operation Beautiful

I was getting dressed this morning and the Today Show was on TV. I usually just it have the Today Show for the background noise. But this time they had a story that actually caught my attention. There was this story about a young lady who wanted to put out a powerful message to all the young girls and women everywhere.

She believed that there were too many negative body images for girls. And because of these messages, a lot of girls and women were suffering from their own negative body images. So she decided to be proactive and put out positive messages in public areas for women and girls to read. For example, she'd write positive messages on sticky notes and places them on mirrors in public restrooms. The notes would say, "You are beautiful!"

How cool is that?

She also blogs about this important message and has a website called Operation Beautiful. And this random act of kindness has taken off and now others participate and leave inspirational messages all over the place for women and girls to read.

When she was asked by the reporter why did she create this website/blog. She responded, "Because a little kindness can go a long way." How simple and sweet and yet, her message is extremely powerful. Here's to girl power!
www.operationbeautiful.com