Opportunity knocks…and sometimes it knocks us right over till we fall into a rut. I was listening to an encounter among children recently. Julia was cleaning the room she shares with Claire. Claire, who (thankfully) has shown some signs of maturity lately, wanted to help. (Note: opportunity.) She even knocked on the closed door. (Opportunity knocking.) Julia hollers from her room, “No, you can’t come in. I’m cleaning. You will mess it up!”

Claire responded, “But I want to help. I won’t mess it up….”

Will Julia take advantage of the opportunity to work with her sister? Will she continue in solitude with negative energy toward Claire while she remembers past experiences of Claire knocking over books or pulling clothing from drawers? Julia will have to choose whether or not to open the door…

And so will we. Opportunities are knocking all around us. The relationships we have with those we love need to be nurtured just as the people we meet in the grocery store need our smiles. We choose each day whether we will bless others and ourselves with the opportunity to forgive and be forgiven, to love and be loved, to offer and to receive. Will we ponder on the blessings that come from these opportunities, or will we let the opportunities knock us into a rut where we bury ourselves with feelings of self-pity and malice?

What did Julia do? Well, she took a chance. She let the opportunity in…and now I hear laughter coming from the general direction of their bedroom. How long do you think it will last?

Maybe it’s an incorrect assumption that our fashion often determines, at least in some degree, our personalities…or maybe, more correctly, our personalities are drawn to particular designs, trends, or colors to determine our fashion. Whatever the case, the way we look, whether we like it or not, sends messages to others around us (& quite possibly sometimes to our own psyche) about who we are or who we want to be.
When I was a teen, I used to quote a poem back & forth with my mom about growing older & breaking fashion rules. We used to laugh together about not matching as we age, and we still share a snicker about it from time to time.
While I do try to dress more conservatively, I have a few “fun” fashion statements…like red, peep-toe pumps I got from my sister-in-law, and my strappy black spike heels that I bought with my sister that I often wear with a sleek black satin skirt (that has a bit of a train). Last week, I attended an event in an Indian-flavored rust top with gold outlines & sequins. I borrowed it from my sister…& had fun wearing it!!!! I totally enjoy having a little fun with “different” fashions I have gathered from the amazing women in my life and the support my friends give me when I am a little daring!
So…if you’re wondering if you can “pull it off” to wear something a little out of your ordinary fashion sense…go for it!!! Who knows, you might just feel empowered!!!