How to Love Yourself

I’ve just come home from a murder mystery. It’s October, darling. And on the drive home, of course, I reflected. Ten friends, eating hamburgers in our little diner and reading over the characters they’ll be playing for the night. Upon arrival we received the scripts. Each of us, a character with secrets to reveal about one another.

We were hometown hunnies coming back for a high school reunion (Class of 1954) to find our friend, Rock, dead. Who did it? We all had a motive: the one who kicked off his career, a great musician that could rise in Rock’s place. Maybe it was his sister who would gain his half of the family fortune had he mysteriously disappeared, the greedy business manager, or one of the three ex-girlfriends, all with great reason to want him dead. It got me thinking, which role would I play in real life? If I were in a movie, who would I be? Not just because of my motivations, but my quirks. Do I love Cap'n Crunch or Fruity Pebbles? What flavor of pie? Easy.

The answer: the romantic that lives her life as a movie, that hears and strings together sentences fit for An Affair to Remember. Every detail of her life seems ethereal. And it is. Her bedroom walls are the color of a flower pot, and dresser: ivy green, big bed: cream and soft and minky. It’s full of houseplants and colored just like one. On the walls, she's put up magazine clippings of sunset rose bouquets and beautiful things. The girl that spends the majority of her free time in coffee shops, reading and thinking and humming little dee-dee-doos. That eats dessert each and every day, for her sweet tooth is splendorous. She eats a maraschino cherry each day too.

Wholeheartedly I believe that these whimsies are not the characteristics of a rare and lucky, four leaf clover. It seems to me that whimsies are everywhere. These things are why we love people. My friends do this wonderful thing: randomly showing up at your house with a gift. Sometimes it's pumpkins, or chocolate, or a little letter. They fall asleep quick, the way little kids do: early. And it's sweet and different from most people. Rissy cleans on Tuesdays. It's her therapy. Bailey loves calligraphy and her wardrobe is that of a perfectly sweet boutique. Kiley is a natural momma. When something happens, she knows when to hug you and how to listen. Tessa's eyes are just like water and she is simply important. Bright colors were made for Kassie, she's a lollipop. They're all such beautiful people.

(From Left: Rissy, me'z, Kiley)

These are our unique little whimsies. They tell us what are passions are and our purposes and paths in this world. They make us beautiful and show us why we are lovable. This is who you are. What are your whimsies? Remember those things and love them. Recognize the things that you do, and love them, for we are all movie girls at heart. These lives are our movies.