M is for the Moon and Memories

How perfect that the letter 'M' would come the day after the April eclipse. :) Or, well, I'm cheating a little. It's only a few minutes after ten now (April 14th), but I've set my alarm to wake me when the moon will be red, and I'm excited to see it. :) And by then, it will be the 15th. ;)

Here's my confession for the night: I have a weakness for beautiful things - especially dresses. :) I love dresses that lift my spirits and make me want to dance. I love dresses I can take pictures in. I love dresses that I can make memories in. And a while back, I found this dress at a local thrift store. I was in search of something more formal, so I bought my green dress (see my last post) and another red one, leaving my true love behind. It was more expensive, and I just couldn't get all three. Ever since, I've thought back to it, and finally today I went in and caved. I was able to get it for half off, and took it for its first spin around the woods. :) I'm glad I gave in to myself this time. <3

I feel like, with this dress in my closet, my 'family' (Ahem, collection) is finally complete. :) At least for now. And after pulling out all of my favorite dresses, I realized that I have far more than I realized! But it would be very difficult to part with any of them.

You see, each one of these dresses has a story. We have a history together. And as I put them back into my closet, I let myself spin around with each at least once, just to remember why I love them. I'll give you brief explanations, since we so obviously have the time. ;) From left to right.

1. The black and white is my dress from my first Holiday Ball. :)
2. The orange is my Trek dress, and - if you've been around long - you should know what Trek meant to me. <3 If not, go back and read my posts from July of 2013. That week changed my life.
3. The darker red is a dress my mother made for me, and is based off of a character I invented in early childhood - who is still begging me to finish her story.
4. The next is the dress I bought today, which I've yet to wear anywhere special, but it's already special to me.
5. The green is the dress I wore last Saturday - a truly remarkable night.
6. The red I wore on a recent date - one of my favorites. :)
7. And then, there's the brown next to the red. <3 I fell in love in that dress. I can still remember spinning in the middle of a swing dance, my skirt flying, and my eyes connecting with someone who made all the difference in who I am today. I love that dress. I wear it when I want to feel warm inside. :)
8. The striped was a costume for last year's Northwoods spring show, and I still wear it often!
9. I wore the purple to my sister Jacki's wedding. So much love there. :) She asked that everyone wear purple - meaning all guests, not just the wedding party - and they did!
10. And last but not least, the gorgeous blue, which I wore to another Holiday Ball and to other occasions as well. :)

They are all beautiful. I love them. Much like people, they're all different, and they all have different backgrounds - but I embrace each one of them for my own reasons. God does the same for each of us. We all serve different purposes under Him, but He loves us, and He calls us His own. How amazing is that?

I know, I know. To some, my dresses are just dresses. To some, as well, God's children are only people. It really just depends on how you look at things. I'm trying harder every day to be filled with Christ's love, and to be more observant of those who stand in need. I encourage you to do the same. :) We are here to help each other as we walk the path of life. It isn't an easy path. ... But who ever said it would be, right?

Keep the faith, my friends. :) If you made it through this entire blog post, you're wonderful, and I thank you! And I hope I helped lift you up somehow. We all need that from time to time.

God bless. <3
Bonnie Gwyn