Tuesday, August 14, 2012 i've been doing some thinking lately.
thinking on the topic of modesty...
how we choose to dress, act, and present ourselves,
and how it impacts others.

i dress modestly because i respect myself.
i dress modestly because i respect my heavenly father.
and lately, i've realized the importance of dressing modestly to respect others.

like the little girl sitting across from me in the parking lot shuttle at the salt lake city airport last weekend.
eight years old, she was the epitome of innocence.
clad in basketball shorts, a nike tee with the word "athlete" printed across it, and sneakers,
her blue eyes peeked out behind her messy pony tail.
and the way she looked at me, i could tell that she thought i was cool.
even though i was terribly sleep deprived and felt less than glamourous,
i could tell by the look on her face and her frequent, shy glances in my direction that she was admiring me.

i'm sure it didn't have to do with much more than the fact that i was a twenty-something, plugged into my iphone with car keys in tow (i've since recalled how i believed everyone who could drive to be so cool when i was that age),
but i realized that this girl noticed me.
and not only did she notice me, she looked up to me.

and at that moment, i was really, really grateful that i was dressed modestly.
because you know what?
you never know who's looking at you.
you never know who you'll affect a few days, months, years down the road.

i'm sure grateful for the many strong women i've been surrounded by throughout the years who instilled values in me.
on a lighter note, i'm also grateful that cropped pants and maxi dresses are in style this summer.

photo taken with some of my favorite women outside el teatro real, madrid 2011. (OH, MI CORÁZON!)
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