Have you heard the new song that Mindy Gledhill just released?
It had me in tears.
TEARS!!
It's called Pleased to Meet Me and is about reflecting
on our younger selves with more grace, love, and acceptance.
I love that Mindy wrote the song from her life experiences
and how it touched me in entirely different ways.
That's the power of a really good storyteller/songwriter.
This song is such a good representation of me and my past,
especially after the accident when
I hated almost every aspect of my "new life" that was so rudely
taken away from me.
But now I am where I am, and I wish I could
"travel back in time" and meet me.
I'd give myself a big hug and, with excitement,
share all the things we accomplish and overcome despite huge challenges.
I'd "wrap my arms around her" and tell her
everything will be OK. I would say that I will
eventually find confidence, trust, peace, and joy in life
and literally in my own skin.
And through it all, I will have a beautiful relationship with the Savior.
I would tell myself that it's okay to embrace the way
I looked during my recovery journey. All those years spent in tears,
feeling ugly, were simply a natural part of the difficult path
toward healing and self-acceptance.
I would tell myself that my healing transformation will often overcome me with
feelings of fear, discomfort, and chaos, but it's triumphant!
And I should be proud of that.
I'd tell myself that there were days when I wanted to give up,
to quit and even die. But I didn't give up, or quit, or die.
I kept moving onward and upward.
I'd tell myself that I will do all those things with my head high
and that I should be incredibly proud of that.
I would "love myself completely" because I know that
"A hundred guarantees, I'd be so very pleased to meet me."
I know I would be stunned by my journey to see where
I've been, and that I consistently showed up every day,
even when I hated it and despised myself and my situation.
"Episodes of laughter, seasons full of grief."
I would also hug myself and whisper in my ear,
"Hey Stephanie, don't worry about the pirate boot and giant belt phase;
almost every woman in 2010 fell for that disastrous trend.
You'll get over it. You'll move on.
Oh, and you get your neck fixed, it works out, and you
end up looking great!"
I would also tell myself that 40-year-old Stephanie will
be the healthiest, most confident stage in life so far.
* *
I shared this song with Claire, and she found it deeply
meaningful on her own story and life experiences.
I hope she writes about it.
Speaking of Mindy, have you listened to her new release of
Well, it's gorgeous!
If you don't know the story of this song, here you go.
I claim this song as mine as I do one of my children.
