beautiful.

a couple of years ago i met a girl that needed someone to tell her she was grand.  someone to take interest in her.  someone to give her time.

i resisted.

i didn't want it to be me.  

she smelt funny.  her teeth were rotten.  she had bad hair.  and poor social skills.

i knew that i was her girl.  

i didn't want to be her girl.

with no joy in my heart, i decided we were going to become friends.  that i was going to take an interest in her.  i was going to love her even though she was unloveable and i would get nothing in return.  i had a bad attitude but knew it was the right thing to do.

she smelt funny.  her teeth were rotten.  she had bad hair.  and poor social skills.

i knew that i was her girl.

i didn't want to be her girl.

after several months of getting to know her, i started picking her up for church once weekly or whenever i went.  after church we would go out to lunch.  my friends and i would be finished eating and she would still be on her first few bites.  i would try to bring her in, try to get her to talk, try to get her to feel loved.

then the day happened where she finally felt like she could talk and open up.

she started talking and never stopped.  and kept talking.  and kept talking and talking.  it was as if no one had ever listened to her before and myself along with two of my best friends would listen and interact.

we built a relationship and became friends.  i started wanting to know more about her and her life.  not because i knew that is what i was supposed to do, but i started getting to know her heart.  and by getting to know her heart, she changed mine.

she taught me that it doesn't matter if you smell funny.  it doesn't matter if your teeth are rotten.  it doesn't  matter.  everyone deserves to feel like they are loved.  when i first started reaching out to her, it was because i knew it was the "right" thing to do, but over time my heart changed and it no longer became a chore.

today i thought about her.  where she was, what she was doing, was she happy, was she safe?

but what i know for sure is that i learned more from her in that year than she ever learned from me. i thought she was broken, it was really me.  

because when i decided to really love her, she became beautiful.


1 comment:

Alicia said...

have i ever told you that i just adore you? you are wonderful. i want to be you. that was one of the most beautiful things i've ever read. you are a beautiful person inside and out! and no, i'm not just being nice!

© Jessica Dukes of Morrison Lane. Powered by Donuts