I Believe

I believe in kindness and respect, embracing individuality and diversity, and standing up for your values and beliefs while being open-minded towards others.

I believe beauty is as beauty does, and that it is not the way you look that is important, but how you see.

I believe that there are many forms of intelligence, and that every one has talent and something valuable to offer the world.

I believe that confidence and humility go hand in hand, and that although I am a very small part of this world, I can make a real impact.

I believe in lifelong learning and self growth, and that the only person I need to strive to be better than is who I was yesterday.

I believe regardless of all labels, we are human first, and that we should concentrate and that which unites us rather than divides us.

I believe that serving and connecting with others is still at the heart of humanity, even in this fast paced, technology driven world.

I believe in being an individual, but always remaining mindful that we are all part of something greater.

I believe in introspection and reflection, and in chasing down your passion like the last bus of the night.

I believe in doing ordinary things with extraordinary love.

At the end of my life, I want to be empty, to have used all my talents- to be completely and absolutely fulfilled.

Beauty

Let us defy cultural norms imposed on us through media and other societal mediums and form our own paradigm of beauty...true beauty, deep beauty- not the superficial kind, for that is fleeting and subjective to say the least. This type of beauty has much more to do with how you live your life than the features you were arbitrarily born with (although each of these features is beautiful in and of itself for what it symbolizes and the gifts it carries with it, but I digress...) Superficial beauty is cursory- true beauty leaves a legacy. Superficial beauty requires no ownership, no character, no impact. True beauty means self-actualization and good will. True beauty matters. It is not something we achieve through make-up and curlers- it is within us, waiting to be harnessed, waiting to be shared- to be lived. Superficial beauty is seen with the eyes, true beauty- felt with the heart. Superficial beauty is pleasant, true beauty- stunning.

Have you done something beautiful today?

"Let Us...": My Hope For This 9/11 Anniversary

Dear Friends,

  A very momentous day in our history lies before us, and today I decided to gather some of the thoughts that have been pervading my mind the last few days and spent a good deal of time reflecting and writing.  Consequently, I decided in the spirit of what I believe this anniversary means to me, I would like to share some of these thoughts with you all.  I hope that each of you are able to find your own peace and meaning in this day, and for anyone for whom this day hits especially close to home, please know that you are in my thoughts. 

"There is a reason God made the sunrise and sunset such a captivating marvel. This transition from light to dark should be marked by this awe inducing occasion, because it is notable. Without darkness, would we have the same appreciation for light? And without light would we understand the beauty and serenity of darkness? God calls attention to this transition by the spectacle of sunrise and sunset because it is important...within this contrast from one to the other lies its blessing". ~Me (from a journal entry I wrote a few years ago)

This 9/11, as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of a day that shook our nation to the core, let us reflect, and let us remember.  Let us take a moment to pray for those who have been lost, those who are left behind, and those who continue to defend liberty and sacrifice their lives everyday for our freedom. 

But let us also celebrate. Let us find the light that was created from one of the darkest days our nation has ever seen.  Let us find the beauty that was effectuated through the pain.  Let us celebrate the spirit of unity that arose; the heroes that triumphed; the profound acts of love and compassion, and of bravery and strength that proved what we are truly made of.  Let us celebrate our country, our rights and our freedoms; let us celebrate each other, express our love and hold our friends and families a little tighter...And let us celebrate life...for it is "short but sweet for certain.*"

Let us honor this day by recapturing some of that light that ascended from the ashes of 9/11 and using it to guide us today and in to our future.  Let us feel a little more united, a little more compassionate, a little more patriotic, a little more grateful, and a little more humbled.  Let strength be actualized through weakness, and hope emanate from despair.  We may be knocked down one hundred times, as a nation and as a people, but we will join hands, lean on each other, discover strength we didn't know existed...and we will stand up one-hundred-and one. 

Love Always,

Katie

(a photo from my year of service as Miss Virginia 2010 that I felt appropriate to commemorate this anniversary)

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “ ~President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

*: "Celebrate we will for life is short, but sweet for certain." ~Dave Matthews Band

IF...

I absolutely LOVE this, courtesy of the awesome Buffie family- so eloquent, moving, and so true. Let us love people for their hearts and their spirits, regardless of all else. Let us shatter stereotypes, erase labels and let people just be...always remembering that despite our differences, at the core, we are all just human ♥