the law of reciprocity

i have been noticing recently that the "go green" trend has been winding down. al gore's "an inconvenient truth" was nearly four years ago and the buzz about climate change has not only worn off, but society has gone back to debating whether or not we are in a climate crisis at all. which stance anyone sides with is quite frankly irrelevant, the truth is, whether convenient or not, we still have a planet to care for; not because it is in possible peril, but because respecting our home is the right way to live.

it was only a short time ago recycling t-shirts were flying off the shelves, but now that the green fashion trend is a thing of the immediate past, the meaning of the movement is nearly gone as well. it breaks my heart. recycling is not now, nor has it ever been a fashion statement. it is not something to practice out of fear our planet is going to melt. taking care of Earth in the most basic ways should just be the standard. not because we are living in fear, but because we are living with respect. the love and admiration that was ignited in us all just four years ago is and was a beautiful thing. and it should be sustained, because regardless of whether or not you think al gore was full of bologna, trash on the ground is unsightly, plastic bottles can be used to create new, and your planet does nothing but bring you beauty at no cost to you.

when you sit on the beach with your sweetheart and watch the sunset, take a walk through the park with your pup, or make the trip to finally see the grand canyon with your own two eyes, thank the Earth for allowing you these pleasures. i won't beat a dead horse, you know how to give thanks.

maintain reciprocity with the planet that we call home, because she doesn't know how to stop giving, so it's only fair that we give back, regardless of if it's trendy or not.

love, madeline

the moral of the story

i was speaking with my friend the other day and she told me one of the saddest thing's i'd ever heard.

this girl is beautiful but i have noticed throughout my years of friendship with her that she is rarely seen without make up. the few times i have caught her lounging around au naturale, she looks so gorgeous it makes me wonder why she ever even bothers getting gussied up in the first place! so i finally get around to asking my friend the reason for the unnecessarily (still beautiful!) made up face, and she tells me a story that simply broke my heart.

what my friend said was that years ago she was dating a guy for quite some time and so the two of them went out for an afternoon. she had been toying with the idea of not going through her usual make up routine and thought since she was comfortable with her significant other, this afternoon would serve well for a test run. she met him at a restaurant and he immediately noticed her bare face. appalled, he exclaimed "where is your make up!" to which she replied quite timidly "oh, i don't know, i thought maybe i wouldn't wear any today..." (leaving her response open ended enough for him to encourage her and embrace the risk) to which he replied "babe. there are some girls in this world who have the face for no make up. you're just not one of them. it's ok, did you bring any? maybe you can go put some on now."

as if this isn't self explanatory and sad enough, i must say the saddest part was when she told me she believed it to be true. she said that since he had said it she thought "well, i must not be one of those girls and he was probably doing me a favor by telling me so" and since then she has been careful not to let anyone see her so "exposed," which is, in actuality, the best she can look.

i learned such a great lesson from this conversation: the weight of our words can be carried by the receiver for years to come. i had never thought about this. one sentence that i say could last longer than the few seconds it took to be spoken. this boy who emotionally scarred my friend so deeply, who altered her lifestyle-her everyday morning routine, who stripped her self confidence, is walking around somewhere none the wiser. he may not even remember saying this to her.

that saying "sticks and stones will break my bones but words can never hurt me" is completely false. the saying "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" is more like it.

choosing words wisely,

madeline

i pledge allegiance to the blog.

dear very few blog followers,

it is my fault and no one else's that i have made no time for you. creating this blog was something i was so excited about and for some reason i let it fade. to anyone who was enjoying what i was writing or perhaps even (i hope!) gaining something from it, i am back!

this declaration is a scary one, i admit. it is frightening for me to put myself out there and commit to something i have complete control of. isn't that strange how we do that? this blog is mine and no one else's and i thoroughly enjoy writing it and yet i have been so lazy that it frightens me to commit to doing so. shouldn't it be easy to commit to something i enjoy? (see entry: the emperor's new groove)

ugh, yes, i should most certainly take my own advice, we all should! but it is definitely more difficult than dishing it out. and i find myself giving advice a lot. don't get me wrong, i am certainly not putting myself on any 'dear abby' pedestal, it's just an observation i have made. i am always answering questions about relationships and jobs and friends and family and when i go to tell myself how to handle carbon copy situations, let's just say 'easier said than done' is a saying that applies to me sometimes.

and so i vow to take my own advice and do what i love and blog till my heart's content. hope you stick with me.

love,

madeline