Road Less Traveled: "The Hottest Nun-To-Be..."

"Find a man who won't simply fall in love with your body and what it could offer him,

nor your personality or charm, but rather,

find a man, a true gentleman, who will fall first in love with your soul.

That, ladies, is true love."

- Professor Mooney

I am a woman! And as a woman, I know that every woman desires to feel confident. Women spend hours upon hours upon hours trying on dresses and outfits, curling or straightening hair, applying layers and layers of make-up, and of course, trying on every single pair of shoes in the closet. There is more time spent in front of a mirror making oneself up than actually enjoying the dinner, dance or date she is going on. And while it can be so fun to get dressed up and made up, what my dear sisters, is the real reason inside? Deep down inside, we make ourselves up for the same reason Eve hid in the garden after she ate the apple (that Adam didn't protect her from, mind you...). Eve was scared to be seen, and so are we.

The truth is there is such depth and beauty in a woman. It lies in her soul. Everything a woman does, if done with all her gusto and passion, starts first with a spark in her soul and thus, her soul shines forth in everything she does. However, the soul is a delicate part of a woman, and we are afraid to show it because of its nature. Because of our souls we trust easily, and we break and hurt easily. And thus, we hide it. Except, every so often, a tiny part of our souls peek out...when we break open our beautiful smiles. And it's during that quick moment of letting loose, that someone compliments us and we find our confidence. We desire that confidence, we desire to be called beautiful, we desire to be loved. It is part of the nature of womanhood.

Last week, I had the beautiful opportunity to travel to downtown Philadelphia with six of my peers for a Dinner/Dance/Gala/Bash. We were representing our lovely university with one of the youngest non-profit organizations in the city: Back On My Feet. This non-profit started with a young girl organizing a group of homeless men to go running in the morning. This expanded to the entirety of the city and now three times a week, BoMF runs with multiple groups of homeless and volunteers. This three time a week running eventually turns into running marathons, getting jobs and renting homes, thus, giving the once homeless a sense of responsibility, community and getting back on their feet. What a great honor to now be affiliated with this organization.

Now, as you can see from the pictures, the required attire was cocktail dresses and suits, with....sneakers. Personally, that was my favorite part. We had such a great, fun time getting dressed up and wearing our sneakers. While at first it seems humorous, it was such a beautiful sight to see a sea of dresses and suits and a floor of sneakers. It was so wonderful to embrace a community not only sharing a meal together, but dancing the night away. And if you know me, you know I love to dance. That's when I feel beautiful!

When I got home, I posted the pictures from the night for all to see so they could have easily shared in the fun. Of course, we all did the typical change of profile picture and cover photo once the pictures were up. And then the comments on the pictures came. One of them, I will always remember: "You are the hottest nun-to-be." Ironically enough, that was not the first time I've heard that said about myself. I've heard it a few times. And so, of course, I began to reflect on that statement.

What does it mean to be "hot?" To me, I first think of 110 degrees in the dead of summer. However, our society has taken the word "hot" and made it slang, thus meaning, what people used to say as "good looking," "smashing," "dapper," and of course, "beautiful." I used to take offense to being called hot, because it made me think of what we, as women, have to do in order to be consider "hot." Young girls and women would not such as dress up but dress off. Meaning, wearing next to nothing...if you ask me, I'd be cold, not hot. So, I made it my mission to tell my sisters how beautiful they really are with clothes on. I made it my mission to be a physical example of how a woman/lady/girl could be beautiful. It's been my mission to promote true beauty!! The true bearing of a soul! And the courage and confidence behind it!

When I got the notification of the comment on my photo, I had to laugh because in truth, that word "hot" has become such a synonym for "beautiful." I looked at the picture and thought about how good about myself I really felt that night. And the best part was that I was COMPLETELY DRESSED! Heck, I even was wearing sneakers!! I felt great, because I knew deep inside, I wasn't showcasing my body, but rather my soul.

Someone once told me that I wear my heart and soul on my sleeves, one on each side. He said I'm not afraid to bear my soul to people, to be heartfelt. He told me that I don't need make-up or fancy clothes, because when I wear my smile, I am most beautiful. Finally he said, when I laugh (and it's pretty obnoxious) I can somehow change the world. And my dear ladies, that's what beauty is. It's being confident enough to wear a smile. You don't need perfect teeth or any teeth at all, just those two upturns of your lips. You don't to showcase your body, but rather, your heart, your soul. Laugh,and enjoy the life you wear given!! And maybe, next time you go out, wear your sneaks instead of your high heels. Are you "hot" because of what you wear? Or "beautiful" by how you act? I prefer to be beautiful, don't you!! And trust me, you are ;)

As for being the "hottest nun-to-be," Jesus sure is one lucky Man, huh? I mean, sometimes, I swear God made me with an extra twinkle in my eye just to show off. Sorry, guys, I'm His!!