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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Hello, 22.


So you want to know about me. Well. I’ll tell you.

I am Michaela, a small girl with a starburst of life, fast tongue and quirky drama. You see, there are thick Italian roots running rapid through my bloodstream, and that, combined with a person of 4’9”, makes a bundle of passion, feelings so deep they hurt, high sensitivity to love, pain, sorrow, joy. . .and an addiction to coffee. My Jesus is all and everything--my fire. The thing that keeps me going. The God I worship and serve in my feeble way. With Him I’ve been on many adventures. I’ve struggled. . .I’ve fallen. . .and I’m growing, little by little, every day. There’s a narrow path, stretching over a lifetime; and me, standing at it’s opening, looking out at the big, unknown world.

Because I believe in dreams. In heroes, love at first sight, happily ever afters, and never growing up. I’ve vacationed in Narnia, sailed over the moon on the back of a unicorn, crossed the Misty Mountains, danced with the dryads. Romance is my favorite expression. It means femininity, the magic of theater, the worship of words. With romance I can drink the scent of lilacs, let music run from my fingertips, defend the barricade with Enjolras, fall in love with a sunset, think in pink. I can be dramatic and girly and simply ME, all within the power of that one word. In the belief that pretty is not dead. . .not yet. I can make it live. That Andrea Bocelli has the voice of an angel. That Les Miserables in second only to the Bible. That you don’t need Irish in your blood, only your soul. That chocolate is the food of royalty. That European seaside villages are the ideal place of retirement. That to love another person is to see the face of God.

I want to be Kilmeny of the Orchard. I want to play with poetry. I want to travel and write and breath and wonder. I want to feel each beating heart. I want to make an impact on this world.

And I want to welcome you--to this place I call my blog. To this rambling, random, unimportant corner of the worldwide web. Duck into my hole. . .but goodness, watch your head! I’ll pour the coffee while you make yourself comfortable. Oh, and please ignore Bilbo. . .he doesn't always like sharing his cookies.


That ^^ is my new "about the authoress"--for a completely new year, and a completely new Michaela. Perhaps it's a little over the top, and when I re-read it I realize it doesn't really say ANYTHING about me, but in strange ways I don't know me anymore. I'm seeing God work so abundantly in every unimportant detail. . .things so big to me, so small to Him. I'm different, VERY 22, and loving every inch of everything this great, unknown world has to offer. It's wild. It's full of suspense and surprise. It's an echo of Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music--"What will this day be like? I wonder. What will my future be?" 

Like I said on facebook, right before diving into another break (which is SO good for me. Re-prioritize  anyone? YES PLEASE.)--"It's funny. No, not funny--an amazing thing that proves how silly I am. :P At the beginning of the year life was a blank, boring, pointless sheet of white. Empty. I had no plans, and this big 22nd birthday looming ahead. (Neverland forever and ever amen.) Well, I'm past the birthday and have a whole list of things to do over the summer. See how God works? Sometimes He keeps us wondering to test our faith. To put trust in the un-trusting. We have a great and powerful Lord! I don't know about you, but I'm excited to travel the unknown. Because Jesus and I are on an everyday adventure."

It's odd. Because, well, maybe I'm the only person who's experienced this? Every year, right before my birthday, I feel my age. Not my NEW age, but the age I've lived with all year. . .for example, when I turned 20 I FINALLY felt 19. When I turned 21 I finally felt 20. . .until this year. This year I felt 22 BEFORE 22, which I suppose means I skipped 21 all together. ;) The Lord has put me in a place where I truly, really, honestly understand Him. It's a constant growing experience, but I FEEL Him in everything, and I think. . .finally, in all my stubbornness and believing I'm bigger than God, (GASP--shocking as that is, I'M NOT. o.O ) I've surrendered. Not saying I don't have the biggest will on the planet, but I've accepted my position. I've given up fighting. It's the loss of friends, maybe. It's the dark times my families endured. Perhaps. Whatever the case. . .I can say with a clear, resounding voice: I am not the same person I was last year.


So hello, 22. I love you already. Lets learn together, shall we? Lets fall, lets get up, lets praise, and worship, and grow and go on running through the forest of life. Let's use our imagination and serve the One and Only King with everything in our being. Because "Sometimes the strongest people are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors, and fight battles that nobody knows about." 

Hello, 22.

25 comments:

  1. So beautifully written. I wish we lived closer; if we did, I would come over pretty much every day to sip coffee with you. We are very much alike... the only big different being that I'm more the height of a wizard or elf being exactly a foot taller than you. ;-)

    Many blessings to you, my dear. May this next year of your life be filled with beauty, my dear.

    Blessings!
    Rachel

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    1. Dearest Rachel! :) I wish we lived closer too. You know, I so need people like you in my life? Not to gush all over again like I did on FB, but you are truly inspiring to me. I love your beautiful face and the example you and Andrew show as a young couple. It's just exactly what I need. :) But enough sentiments. ;)--we should totally try and get together sometime. Really. I think living only two states apart (I think??) means there is a coffee date and maybe shopping in the future. Amen??

      ::hugs:: to you!

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  2. Beautiful post, Mich. I've been reflecting on my years as well and while looking over my old writings I realize that I'm not the same person I was when I was 22 and you're not the same person you were before either. Changes come and most of the time the least expected. I'm in a waiting period right now. It's frustrating, but I know that in this time God has the freedom to show me how to be more like Him...and how I've fallen at the task lately. I haven't dealt with this waiting period very well, but today is a new day and time to start again.

    I am happy for you and love seeing your passion and I hope you never lose it. 22 is going to be a great year for you.

    Much love!

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    1. Thank you so much for the encouragement, Catherine! Girl, you know I'm praying for you, as I hope you are for me. Love you. <3

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  3. Oh Michaela that was so beautiful as the others have said but it is truly. Those photos are stunning your so beautiful and I love your shirt! Happy belated birthday!!!

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    1. haha. . .I like the shirt too. ;) Funny story behind it--k, so my mom and I went shopping on Black Friday. WORST decision of my life. But anyway. . .we stopped at the Maurice's outlet, and there was the blouse of my dreams. I love it because it has this 80's/Victorian flare and can be dressed up or down. BUT it was insanely expensive, so I put it down and never went back. *ahem* A couple of months later my mom walks in, hands me a bag, and says, "here's that shirt you wanted, they marked it half price, finally." The last one, exactly in my size! So I'm happy. ;)

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  4. Girl you have no idea how much so we are alike! Passion and emotions runs deep through me and often gets me into extreme situations haha, but I wouldn't trade any of it in for the world cause that is what God has used to speak to me. I know that feeling of growing up in the Lord. Of having things revealed to you by God that would have no made sense at an earlier time. I'm so excited to spend time with you guys sometime soon as I do plan on making a visit. I could be wrong, but I think we'd be such very good forever friends. :)

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    1. No, I think I do know. :) I remember connecting with you right away at the Christmas Ball. Bubbly people do that to me. :) This ^^ is very encouraging, btw. I think we need to get together very soon.

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  5. oh, i love this, Mich. :) so beautiful--you describe yourself so perfectly. (and oh my word, you are 4'9"?! i'm 6 feet tall. haha.) anyway. HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOMAN! i hope you had/have a wonderful wonderful wonderful day, and i pray this next year is full of new, fabulous, exciting and wonderful things. :) :) :)

    i'm so blessed to know you; you are indeed a kindred spirit. :)

    ::huggles::
    Miki

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    1. Welll. . .I started getting all these thoughts into my head, and I'd been wanting to write a new "about me". So while it doesn't say much about me personally--it's my imagination in a nutshell. ;)

      But yeah, kindred spirits forever and ever amen! I DID have a wonderful, wonderful birthday, and I am so excited to see whats in the future. Loving this phase in life, already. (and. . .I think I probably need to email you. But we've had this discussion before. :P ) Love you to bitty bits!

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  6. P.S. Stop being so dang gorgeous, okay. Seriously. ;) <3<3

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  7. your "about me" writings and thoughts are perfection. seriously.

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    1. Thanks, Lauren! Just a bunch of rambles that came to me once upon a time. :)

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  8. You LOOK 22 in those pics... And you wanna know why??? Your shirt reveals your curves and you look like you have eye make-up... Haven't I always told you this, dah-ling??? :P

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    1. Shhhhhh!! o.O Goodness, Tory. . .only YOU could say something like that and get away with it. Guess I'll take it as a compliment. :P :P

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  9. You look so great... and beautiful, i think. Hehehe
    Nice to see u(from your photos). I'm Fina from Indonesia. This is serious, I wanna be your friend. See u ^^

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  10. Happy birthday...your posts are always inspiring:)

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    1. I appreciate that so much, Lauren! It's good to know my silly little ramblings bless someone.

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  11. I Love you Michaela! Reading this post made me realize just how much I miss you! <3 You are the sort of person people write books about; the sort of books that one reads over and over again.
    I miss you girl!

    Love Meghan

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