potential chick flick?

I know we have other important things to discuss and I have unfinished posts of things I've been learning that I actually want to share.
And I know we're all busy.
And maybe you have better things to do than read this.
And perhaps I'll chicken out and not even let this stay live for long.
 
But...I feel the need to share a bit of hope.
And shout from the rooftops about how good God is.
How involved He is in our lives.
How aware He is of our hearts.
And share a little ray of sunshine in this little world of mine.

So...
hypothetically speaking...

If you had the chance to hear some of the fun parts of a potentially really awesome story, would you rather...

hear the aforementioned fun parts as they unfold before your very eyes with the anticipation of all the ingredients that make up a really awesome chick flick, knowing all the while you could be emotionally investing in something that might not turn out like a really awesome chick flick, thus potentially committing yourself to a needed week or two of Ben & Jerry's while you get over the disappointment of it all...OR

would you rather wait and hear about all the fun parts at the end of the story once the end is known thus providing great security in making the investment but then risking that you may never actually hear any of the aforementioned fun parts of the story if the story doesn't end the way all really awesome chick flicks end because, well then, the fun parts aren't quite as fun as they were when they were happening and therefore shouldn't be shared...OR

would you rather not know about any of it because you have better things to do with your time and who wants to experience a real-life chick flick anyway. I mean, who has time to read of things that would make even Ms. Austen herself say "oh, that's good. that's real real good."

These are all things to consider before you reply...
But, you should know...

I think this has the potential to be a really awesome chick flick.

You know...hypothetically speaking.

(though there is nothing hypothetical about a boy sending flowers. nope. nothing hypothetical at all.)

Thanks, Mr. Steinbeck.

Here's another goody that I *might* have listened to a lot last week.

I love knowing (and I really do know) there IS something beautiful that's waiting (more to come on that thought.)



And now, for something else truly great.

A letter that John Steinbeck wrote to his son.
Pretty true.
Pretty perfect.
And a good reminder that "if it is right, it happens".

I have a date tonight.

And for that, and other reasons, this will be the last post about the thing I never really talked about when it started so there's not much to share about it ending.
But so much good came from it (ok. I might say more about that) & I can be nothing but grateful.
And "it" will happen...when it is right.
I believe that to my core.

Thanks, Mr. Steinbeck.

New York
November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First -- if you are in love -- that's a good thing -- that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don't let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second -- There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you -- of kindness and consideration and respect -- not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn't know you had. [this might be the part I have more to say about]

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply -- of course it isn't puppy love.

But I don't think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it -- and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone -- there is no possible harm in saying so -- only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another -- but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I'm glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens -- The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,
Fa

(From the Atlantic. That I discovered thanks to a really awesome blogger who apparently is in the same space as I when it comes to hearts right now.)

the other side of "someday"

You know those songs you hear and love but you kind of hope you won't be able to relate to ever again?

Flicka sent me this great video a few months ago and I remember thinking, "So cute. SO glad I just don't really need that. I'm a much smarter girl than I was before."

Well, I might have kind of needed it last week.

But, leave it to Sara Bareilles to write an upbeat sad song that is so peppy, you forget it's sad and then you feel all peppy even when you are tempted to be sad.

Here's to "the other side of someday"...



PS...How great is this F. Scott Fitzgerald gem:

"Why don't you tell me that 'if the girl had been worth having, she'd have waited for you'?"

"No, sir, the girl really worth having won't wait for anybody."

(from This Side of Paradise)

Well, hello, Mr. Dragon

Monday was the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
Did you know that?
I celebrated it last night with some dear friends.

We ate yummy chinese food.
And we observed the tradition of "letting go".
I love celebrating New Years twice.

Thank you, China.

Speaking of China...I kind of got into the whole "Chinese Astrology" thing on my trip to China in '09. (PS if you look at the pictures and don't tell me I look completely different, we cannot be friends.)

I remember being excited when I learned there that 2011 was the year of the rabbit.
Which meant a very good year for the rat.
I'm a rat, you see.

And for a rat, the year of the rabbit was supposed to be a year of
career advancement (check)
and love (check)
and good health (check).
Though I was cautioned to stay away from indulging in alcohol and gambling (check. check.)

Seriously. 2011 was totally a very good year.
Which kind of makes me a believer in Chinese Astrology (unless it says bad things are coming. I'm fickle like that.)

Well, 2012 is the year of the Dragon.
And I've been reading up on what the worldwideweb has to say about it.
And for a Rat, the Dragon year is...well...fair.
You might get less return than you expected even if you put more effort in it. As long as you don't aim too high, you will be satisfied with what you will do in 2012.

Awesome.
Way to set expectations low.

But then there is this:

Rat will be quite happy and relaxed in the year 2012 of the Black Water Dragon. This period will be successful for him if he will be optimistic and bold in his actions. The beginning of 2012 will be tough and intense - Rats will have to quickly turn around in time to respond to all problems. Spring is an equally intense period, but this time will bring clarity to most directions, and Rat will find it much easier to operate, knowing his way.

Okay. Okay. I can handle that.
So, it's going to be "intense" for a while (which is hysterical to me because someone pointed out to me last month that I use the word "intense" a lot when talking about my life.) but I'll get clarity.

Now...why would I need clarity and need to know my way?

Well...(and this is where it gets freakishly right on the money)

Rat's personal life in 2012 will be pushed into the background by him because work with a high rate of actions will not allow him/her to pay much attention to his/her partner and feelings - at least in the first half of 2012.

That could be tragic and discouraging, no?
NO.

Because this is where it gets good:

Single Rats will have the chance to meet their love in the second half of 2012 - this period is more favorable for development of relations and will be a good time for romantic encounters. It's a good time for unmarried Rat people to find the ideal partner.

Well, hello, Mr. Dragon.
Whaddaya say we get ready for the "second half of 2012"?
[wink. wink.]

Things are gonna get good...


(image found here)

God takes care of His girls

I was with a really great group of girls last night in Kaysville, UT.
I felt like all I wanted to tell them was how much their Father in Heaven loves them.
How much He wants to bless them.
How well He takes care of them.
And how much they can trust Him.

I felt it with everything I had.
And I love the way I feel when I know that...you know?

I have often said (as I said last night to those girls) that I don't believe God loves His daughters any more than He loves His sons.
I really don't.
But, I do believe He loves us differently.

In the back of my new little book, I invited the girls to email me directly to my gmail address (It didn't seem like a crazy idea at the time. It's still not crazy but I have been a little ovewhelmed by the responses. Though SO GRATEFUL and humbled by these incredible girls and their testimonies. Really, the world is in very good hands.)

An email I just received from one anxious girl totally made me smile.
Oh, I remember being her.

Hi you don't know me but i have read just the first chapter in your book. The one about faith. Well i have a question for you if your ok with answering it. How did it all work out?? Because as of right now I'm in that exact same position!!!! I am in love with the most amazing and religious guy that i know. He has helped with my testimony and has earned a special place in my heart. I met him at EFY and we are pretty good friends without him knowing that i'm crazy in love with him. and i have plans about him serving a mission and then him coming home and falling in love and getting sealed in the salt lake temple but i'm scared that it won't happen and i won't be happy. that he will marry another girl and i won't be happy. and yes i have prayed about it alot but i keep getting the answer that he knows the desires of my heart.its all i want is to be sealed to him but idk whats going to happen i want to know how your happily ever after happened?help please;)

Hmmm...what to do?
Do I tell her what really happened?
Do I risk devastating her young heart?
I mean, I know what she wants me to say...
She wants to hear the same "happily ever after" I wanted to hear when I was her. (Um, who am I kidding...that I *still* want to hear...).
Seriously. What to say?

Well, this is what I said:

Oh, I can totally hear the anxiousness in your heart and I SO get it. I do. This is a big deal. When you have given a guy (especially a great one) a little bit of your heart, it's a scary thing.

I can tell you that there have been a few guys that I really gave my heart to that I thought I'd marry...that I wanted to marry. And I thought my world would be shattered if it didn't happen. And I didn't marry either of them.
Of course, I was so sad.

But, you know what?
It's all okay.
In fact, it's better than okay.

And here is why and here is what you HAVE to know:
Heavenly Father already knows the guy you're going to end up with. And He needs YOU to focus on YOU and getting yourself to where you need to be and becoming the woman He needs you to be. I don't know what's going to happen with this guy that you love right now. AND...unfortunately, it's not for you to know either. Not right now.

But, I promise you...I PROMISE YOU...that Heavenly Father will take care of you. He will. And He will take care of your heart. I Promise.

SO...you keep being this guy's friend. You keep being the amazing [name]. You keep living your life and enjoying the moments and reading your scriptures and saying your prayers and trust that Heavenly Father will take care of everything. SO much can and will happen between now and then. You just put a smile on your face and trust that He is taking care of everything. He is orchestrating details of your life right now to give you every happiness He can.

(And isn't that exciting?)

Heavenly Father takes care of His daughters. I promise you that.

xoxo
laurel

I am a girl who knows my Father takes care of His daughters.
He loves His girls...and takes care of our hearts.
He gives us a lifetime of "happily ever after".
He really really does.

"Professor"...really?

There's a new bio on the new jacket of my new little book.
And it's something I must have said/written because they wouldn't have made it up.

My new little bio reads:
Laurel Christensen served a mission to Riverside, California, before graduating from Brigham Young University. She has spent most of her career at Deseret Book Company, where she is the Creative Director for Product Developmentand directs the Time Out for Women program. Laurel holds a master's degree in communications management and thinks it would be fun to someday be called "Professor." She loves working with teenage girls and especially enjoys making sure they are well-educated about the world of Jane Austen.

Now, you might have a couple of questions after reading that little bio.
First, did I have a job change? Yes, I did. That's a whole nother post for a whole nother day.
Second, do I really want to be a professor?

Well...

I do actually think it would be fun to be called "Professor." I've had dreams of teaching college courses for a long time....like at a cute little junior college in New England or something.

The truth is, though, "professor" is not REALLY what I think would be fun to be called one day. But, I can't say what I REALLY want to be called, lest my little bio sounds really pathetic or like I'm soliciting prospects for marriage.

I mean, if I was going to choose to be called something other than "Laurel", it would probably be:
honey or
babe or
a little nickname that just belonged to me or
mommy.
That sounds most fun of all.

But, I can't have a bio that says that.
Can you imagine?

Laurel Christensen...blah...blah...blah...blah...Laurel holds a master's degree in communications management but thinks it would be fun to someday be called "Mrs. Knightly" or "Mr. Knightly's children's mommy"....blah...blah...blah...If interested in helping her achieve this, please email her directly at...

I mean really!

So until I can do my "future bio":
Laurel Christensen...blah...blah...blah...She spent most of her career at Deseret Book Company, before settling down in a small quaint New England town with her adoring husband and their 3 little munchkins. I know...she can't believe how lucky she is either. She's a professor one night a week at a local junior college but she still loves working with teenage girls and especially enjoys making sure they are well-educated about the world of Jane Austen, especially now that she knows Mr. Knightly really does exist.

Well, the "new bio" will have to do for now.

So, when you read "and thinks it would be fun to someday be called 'Professor'."...well, now you know what I REALLY think.

"Professor"...really?
Nope.
Not really.

Grateful for yesterday

Yesterday was Mother's Day.
It's a day I have always been grateful for.

And I've been grateful that the gaping hole I sometimes feel doesn't bubble up any more intensely on Mother's Day than any other day.

But, yesterday, I found myself waking up alone in a hotel in Toronto (and yes, I know some of you mom's might have loved to be in my place.). I found the local church (which happened to be next to the gorgeous Toronto Temple).

But, I didn't stay long.

Instead, I drove here
And my, myself, and I sat for a few minutes and just looked at the wonder of God's creations. I listened to the crashing water and looked around at all the people, and this came rushing out of my heart--

Today I'd give up my meetings with important people
for chats during carpool

Today I'd give up my silver medallion status
for a well-worn library card

Today I'd give up my freedom of time
for interrupting knocks on the bathroom door

Today I've give up my $200 Nordstrom jacket (please don't judge me)
for even one little reason to cut coupons

Today I'd give up all the professional accolades
for one heart-felt, "thanks, Mom"

I guess that little hole in my heart did bubble up yesterday a little more than other days.
And you know what?
I'm actually okay with that.
It's a hole that's not meant to be completely filled by anything other than

chats during carpool
well-worn library cards
interrupting knocks on the bathroom door
reasons to cut coupons
and "thanks, mom" moments

And so I need that little hole to bubble up.
Even on Mother's Day.
I guess that's just one more reason why I'm grateful for yesterday.

(Particularly when Niagra Falls is followed by a first-class upgrade. So all in all...a good day.)

Sometimes I can't stop talking

Shocking, I know.

And this morning, when asked during a panel discussion on the radio if there was something that we worried we wouldn't get to do in this life that we always wanted to do...something that maybe the time had passed for...

My heart immediately felt it.

My head kept saying, "talk about Annie. Say that you wanted to be Annie from the time you were 10...that you used to sing all the songs in the laundry room in the house in Kentucky...that you envisioned the audition...that you thought with your bad short perm imposed on you by your mother (just kidding, mom...no i'm not...yes I am) that you would be a shoe in. and you probably are too old for that now. talk about Annie. talk about Annie. talk about Annie."

But my head kept quiet.
And my heart started talking.
About that thing that was one of that parts that made the break-up so darn hard and the real motivation (right now) for why I was willing...am willing to risk my heart.

You see, I'm 38.
And I always wanted to give birth to my very own little laurel.
But, the clock is ticking.
And though I've not given up...well, in the quiet moments alone, it's the thing I wonder/worry/hope/faith/pray about.

There.
I said it.

And my little heart couldn't not say it this morning.
Even over air waves.
That will be heard this Saturday on KSL-radio. at 4:00pm mountain time.
By who knows how many people.

Sometimes I can't stop talking.
Probably should.
But sometimes, I can't.

As honest as it gets

(I have gone back and forth about sharing this. I know I had to write something because I needed to be able to put words to it. But, share it? Well, that's another story. But, the truth is that it's my pride that would be stopping me from sharing. And I guess I worry a little that this kind of honesty will discount somehow the positive side of other things I share. But since there is a part of me who needed to know someone else "got it", well, that is why I share. Just in case I can be that "someone else" for you.)

Have you ever had the experience of being "on"...so "on" that you know the Lord is using you...that you are exactly where you are supposed to be...that you've spent a weekend where you've given but you've also been filled & bouyed & blessed...and you are grateful...SO grateful. But when its all said & done and you're walking back to the hotel alone at night and the stark realization that you still don't have someone to come home & share it with...really share it with...is just too much...and you are crying before you even get to your room...

And you know you're tired & hungry & surely that has a lot to do with it and you're almost ashamed to so quickly lose the euphoria of what the Lord let you feel all weekend or appear to be turning your back on what just a couple of hours ago you were so grateful for...but just the same, its all just too much...

And you find yourself collapsed in your room in a puddle of exhausted tears...

And you know all the things you should do in that moment. You know that spiritually speaking you are not as "alone" as you feel. But, in that moment, the crushing weight of not having that "someone" is almost too much. And you can't breathe. And you can't see past that moment because you can't see past the tears...

And so you kneel...and you cry...and you plead...and you talk...
and you listen.
And then you fall asleep trusting that everything will be okay.
And of course it will be...

And then it is.
Of course it is.

But...
not before you know,
once again,
that we were not meant to be alone.
We just weren't.

So, while there are SO MANY THINGS about this life of mine that I treasure and love and appreciate and am grateful for, it does not take the place of...and will never take the place of...that "someone"...MY someone.

And that's about as honest as it gets.

What about that girl?

This is one of those posts that you go back and forth on.
In the middle of a late night at the office.
Should I post?
Should I not?
What's my motive?
Will it help someone?
Can someone help me?
Do I just need to shell out money for therapy?

Yep.
One of those.

I don't care what anyone says.
You don't get to be 37 and single by having a series of successful healthy relationships.
You just don't.

And those series of not-so-successful or not-so-healthy relationships do something to you.
They just do.

And I'm trying so hard to look inside myself and figure out what got me where I am and what I need to do differently to get to somewhere else.
But, man, it's hard.

And I'm trying so hard to trust the process and let it be what it is.
But, that's hard too.

You see...
at some point, a girl either bemoans the fact that she isn't married and just focuses on that...or gets going with her life and just focuses on that.
And it's hard to be somewhere in the middle.
It just is.
But, a girl's got to find the middle.

And, I don't appear to do the "in the middle" very well.
And I refuse to be the girl who bemoans.
So, where does that leave a girl like me?

A girl who really wants to experience a family.
A girl who really wants to get outside herself.
A girl who really loves what she feels called to do.
A girl who wants to know someone else needs her.
A girl who sometimes can't wait to be a "we".

But also...
A girl who has become fiercly independent.
A girl who's often content to be an "we" with God.
A girl who got that way through a few broken hearts.
A girl who sometimes waits for the rug to be pulled out from under her.
And a girl who fears taking a risk and being wrong.

What about that girl?
Where does this leave her?

[taking a deep breath as I hit "publish post"]

And what about Princess #4?

I was asked to narrate a skit for a New Beginnings program tonight in my ward. The theme was "becoming the girl of your dreams." The point of the skit was simple but was tragically based on a fallacy we continue to perpetuate in the Mormon culture.

The fallacy is this:
Three girls (in this case "princesses") are given some books (personal progress & the scriptures) to help them become the girl of their dreams, or more specifically somebody's queen.
Princess #1 takes the books and decides they aren't important and hides them under her bed.
Princess #2 takes the books, kind of looks at them but doesn't really read them and goes about her merry way.
Princess #3 reads both books and follows the counsel contained therein perfectly.

One day a prince (who has just returned from his 2 year "quest") goes to visit each princess, determined to find his queen (he even goes so far as to actually ask each princess what she has done to prepare to be a queen).

You can already see where this is going, right?
I don't even need to finish the story, do I?

I was willing to be the narrator (I didn't do the "storytelling" category on my high school speech team for nothing!). I got a bit of a kick out of myself and enjoyed playing puppet master changing up the script a few times (thus compelling the youth to ad lib or ad act...it was quite funny).

It was cute but I don't think it was entirely harmless.

I was also asked if I would read something after the skit...the conclusion of the author (who was not in my ward...apparently this is a skit by a well-meaning person on the web somewhere...and I have NO doubt her heart is in the right place and she means well)...that further perpetuated the notion that if the girls will focus on what they need to be doing right now to prepare to be wives and mothers, that one day soon a prince will come. If they are not ready, he will notice their lack of preparation. He will pass them by and go on to the next princess.

Wow.
Really?
That's really the only reason for reading scriptures and doing value projects and goals to improve myself?
Oh, and I only have the years of 12-18 to prepare?

I'm not one to fault anyone who wants to teach truths in basic and simple and memorable ways.
Just one problem.
This isn't really truth.
And these smart girls today deserve better.

And so, after I concluded the story (that really was fairly entertaining), I folded up the pre-prepared concluding thought on the piece of paper.
And, without any hesitation, I said this:
"You girls are so good. You are incredible. And you are already on the way to becoming amazing women. I have no doubt the Lord is preparing all sorts of good things for you...including a prince...who better be good enough for you when the time comes. But I hope that you are doing all of this for more than the prize of a prince. I hope you are doing this to become the daughter of God you are meant to be.
I can tell you, from personal experience, that as you participate in the Personal Progress program and study the word of the Lord in the scriptures, the Lord will help you use those things in many ways...before and after your prince comes. Becoming the girl of your dreams is an exciting venture. But, becoming the woman God wants you to be...knows you can be...is trying to help you to be...well, that is even better."

I know plenty of girls like Princess #1 and #2 who do end up marrying the prince. I know plenty of girls like Princess #3 who get the prince too but there are plenty of others who end up marrying what turns out to be a frog.

And what about Princess #4...a girl who does what she can to become the women she needs to be. She's not perfect either but she tries to use all the knowledge and skills she gains along the way to bless lives and make a difference. And she waits, not idly, but patiently, for the prince to come along and JOIN HER in her journey. Because he's been preparing too...in his own way...to be ready for her. They both know that they weren't each other's reason for doing what they did...GOD was their reason...but they happily accept each other as ONE OF the great blessings that come because of their efforts.

I really like Princess #4. (I bet she likes Valentine's Day even when she's single.)
She should have been in the story too.

Someone called me a feminist today.

Some women might wear that title like a "badge of honor" but not this girl. That word is full of negative connotations and I pride myself on thinking I'm the antithesis of every single one of them.

Having that word used against me made me cry. Isn't that ironic?

I am a girl (who will eventually admit that I'm old enough to be a "woman") who loves being a girl. I love being a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a girlfriend. I make a great girl. I like to shop. I cry during commercials. I say "ahhhh" (in that cheesy "that's so cute" way) out loud when I'm watching a chick-flick at the movie theatre. I love pink. I bought a car based on the color alone (mostly). I do "retail therapy". I swoon at the mere mention of the name "Michael Buble". I love being a "daddy's girl". I've seen You've Got Mail more times than I should admit (so many times that I have every Kathleen Kelly outfit memorized in every scene). I giggle. I love gerber daisies. I love to wear heels just because they look great even when something else might be more comfortable. I get giddy when I think I'll have time to watch Pride & Prejudice. I am a girl in every possible stereotypical way.

I have great respect for men, especially the men who have the courage to be husbands and dads. I think men are smart. I think men make for great leaders. Men can be (and should be) a reminder of a loving, kind Heavenly Father. God has chosen, for a multitude of reasons, to use His sons as His emissaries...in a different way than He uses His daughters. I've never...NEVER...had a problem with that. I like it when a good righteous man presides over a meeting...or over a family. I like it that way. I want it to be that way.

I'm just not a feminist (though I did hire a guy as my asst. today...I guess that's ironic too). I'm a conservative for crying out loud! (grin)

So, when someone says that to me (and I think I've been called that only 2 other times) and all they know about me is that I'm a single professional woman, I know they are using that word as a commentary for their perception of a girl in my category. And I want to say, "You think I chose this life? You think I made a conscious decision to not be a mom? You think I don't want to be needing to leave this stupid meeting because I'm late getting home and need to have dinner ready for my adoring hubby? Do you think I'm here because I'm trying to make a statement about how much smart creative amazing women (of which I am one...my Dad loves it when I put prepositions in the right place) can contribute to the corporate world? Really? That's what you think of me?"

And, though I love so much about my life and am grateful for where I am and what I get to do, what I really want to say...shout...is, "I would so give all of this up yesterday..."

There is a judgement that some choose to put on girls in my category. I suppose if I was totally confident that the said judgement was wholly inaccurate, it wouldn't bother me so much. Perhaps I need to look at that. But, the bigger truth is that the world's definition (and the feminist's definition) of "feminist" is an affront to everything I hold sacred and dear.

I'm just not a feminist.

However, I am absolutely a girl who knows she is a daughter of a God...a girl who knows she's been a girl since the beginning of time. And now, I'm a (gulp) woman. I am a woman. A woman of God. And because of that, I have access to ALL of the blessings and gifts He allows His children to have. I have a strong heart...the same strong heart He has given all of His daughters because He needs us to love...sometimes, no matter what. I have a drive to make a difference....the same drive He has given all of His daughters because He needs us to help His other children...even when we don't think we can. When I cry, He counts my tears. And if those tears were caused by any of His sons, there will be trouble (poor guy who made me cry tonight, eh?). I really believe that. He might not love me more because I'm "one of His girls" but He certainly loves me a little differently. His daughters have the ability to influence the world for good in ways His sons never will. That doesn't make us better. It makes us different. And I'm grateful for all the differences.

I'm not a feminist.

I'm a daughter of God who gets it. And who, I truly believe, will eventually get IT....that which I pray for and hope for and work for every single day. And in the meantime? I'm a single professional woman...who loves gerber daisies...and bought her Mazda CX-7 based on the color alone (it's "sky blue metallic" and I love it!)