Sunday 29 April 2012

Annal 157: Tale from the Compliment

Last night I received what was one of the greatest compliments I have ever received.  I was at a birthday bbq for a friend and after eating a group of us made our way outside to the bonfire in the backyard.  While visiting a friend across the fire from me stopped, looked at me, and informed me (and all those around us) that in my red coat I looked like a character who had just stepped out of a novel.  That I belonged in, dare I say it, an Austen novel.  Another friend then remarked on how the wind was perfectly blowing my hair, adding to that image. Apparently I belong in Europe and not here.  After a horrible moment of realizing how hard it can be to take compliments (another friend finally looked at me and said, "That is one of the nicest things I have ever heard"), I accepted and thanked them for the compliment.

Now for some of you, that might not sound like much.  But for a woman who often identifies with Anne Elliot and longs for the relationship of Emma and Knightley, it was pretty much one of the most wonderful things I have ever been told.

I'm thinking that red coat may have been the greatest purchase of my life :)

I was also informed yesterday that I have beautiful hair and today that I looked really nice.  Both of these were from the mouth of a five year old.  A five year old I am taking on a date tonight.  First words I heard this morning after he ran through the house upon hearing me moving around upstairs were "We're going on a date!"  I went for a run this morning and had this little body thrown at me and the words, "You were gone so long!  I missed you!  Where were you?" were issued forth upon me.

And now I am sitting in the living room with my oldest nephew watching Kung Fu Panda after taking him to McDonalds for said "date."  If I ever find a man half as excited to go out with me as this little guy was today I will feel pretty darn special :)

Not only did I receive my acceptance letter into the program that I wanted (showing me where I will be living next year), but I also got my acceptance into residence there (meaning I will have somewhere to live).  Interesting tidbit about these residences: the university has many different residences but because of my status in life I qualify for  only one of them.  I am single and so cannot live in the family dwellings, but am also too old to live in all of the other ones.  This brought a chuckle to my lips when I discovered it.

I think the only word to really describe what I am feeling right now, and have been this week, is hope.  God has been so good to me.  I have lacked no opportunities to visit and touch base with people, I have been welcomed and accepted, but more than that I feel so excited about the future.  A year from this September and I will *hopefully* be working as a teacher.  I can go anywhere to do this, and I find that thrilling.  This adventure I like to call my life is taking a turn and the excitement building as a result is unbelievable!

But for now I shall enjoy my summer.  I will work, I will touch base with friends and hopefully develop some friendships further, and no doubt I will have many more dates with a little five year old who likes to say "Why do you need to do your make-up?  You are pretty."

Such is the life of a Christian single.

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