{ A Word to the Chivalrous. // Personal }

Happy New Year, friends! Welcome to a brand new start!

I'm looking ahead at 2012 with much anticipation. I have photo sessions already in the works for even months down the road. There are many exciting things in the air around here!! :)

But one thing I have missed and want to integrate more on this blog are my own personal posts, tucked right along side my client work. So on that note here's a journal entry of something that's been on my mind lately...

* * * *

I would have been staring at the ceiling, but my bedroom was pitch black.

I knew what time it was, and that depressed me. My aspirations of falling asleep at a decent hour were failing by the minute. And after some long silence I audibly came to terms with the fact that "I'm not tired..."

On went my bedside lamp light and I found my way to the kitchen, where I guiltily fixed up the very last of the homemade hot chocolate that was tucked away in the cupboard. If I was going to stay up a bit more, I needed something to make it worth while.

Here on the east coast at 1:37 am my mind was circling around topic that has recently frequented my thoughts and conversations with close friends. It's something I shared with Jesus in prayer tonight, and I wanted to share it with you all too. Well, mostly just the guys...



So dear men of the world,

I'm a fan of encouragement, so instead of attacking this from a negative perspective I'd like to thank you for the quiet, often unseen ways that some of you take to honor us girls.

For all the times you walk us to our cars when it's late and dark out, refrain from using course language when we're in your company, offer to help us carry things, open doors for us, look us in the eyes when we're talking, and any other gesture of kindness...hear me when I say each and every time it means so much to us.

In such a harsh world, your gentle ways of caring for us are deeply refreshing. Women can feel most vulnerable when we aren't valued or loved. So guys, even if you're helping a stranger and you have no other motive but to be a gentleman, your actions reassure us that we are cherished and valuable.

So many men tear us down, every day. With their looks, their words, and even just by ignoring us when we need a hand.
Every time you go out of your way to shelter us, you build us back up again. And every you time you do, our respect for you instantly quadruples! It's true!! :)

So thank you, so very much.

Sincerely,
A girl.