Oh the memories we replay in our heads at the sight of a picture. The smiles, or lack thereof, tell stories to your heart that would be difficult to produce in words.

You remember things you thought would lay dormant for many years to come. The people inked on to the paper remind you of the good times worth remembering: A happy and peaceful day, an exciting outing, a first date, a dance you danced all night with friends, your the day you first got your puppy. And the list goes on.

Whatever the reason for your memories, one would have to agree that the good times are what our human hearts love to remember more than the bad. When I look at a picture of my friend dipping me while we are swing dancing, I remember that night and how much it meant to me. I remember the smiles and the laughter. Those memories get me through the hard times. The pictures of my face covered with marshmellows and a friend and I are making silly faces reminds me of the good ol’ days. You feel warm inside when you think of the people you shared those moments with and how their joy made yo feel loved.

I think, though, that as a girl I love the feeling of ‘Beautiful’. I love it when people say how pretty my hair looks today and how they wish that they had been born with wild curls like mine. To hear people look at me in awe and say, ‘Gah, Morgan, you look so cute today. I love your outfit and the way it matches your eyes.”
I don’t think that should be a vain thing to say that I enjoy that.
And I don’t think that should sound vain when I say that, either.

As a girl, I WANT to feel beautiful. I want someone to think that God used the best resources that he had when he was creating me. Everyone wants to feel that. It makes us feel so good to be admired.
I mean, you can’t let it get to your head. That’s one of the hazards of having an outlook like that. You become over confident and your look become your downfall.
But there is a point at which you have to be able to look in the mirror and be satisfied, if not happy at the way you look.
There is a point, girls (and guys, but mostly girls since we struggle with this part of self-worth a whole lot); that you have to be content with who you are, what you look like and where you are in this life. You have to be able to look in the mirror and appreciate who you are. That is a step towards finding the right person for you.

So, when you look at a picture of a time when you forgot the life around you and simply focused on the good in it, don’t look at the big fat zit on your face, the fact that your belly may stick out farther than you wished it would, that the light plays cruel tricks on your features.
Look at the picture and see it for what it is: Captured Beauty. You are smiling and you are happy in that moment. Don’t make up faults to make yourself feel better about what is happening now. See the happiness in that moment and see the beauty that you created when you snapped that picture.

See the beauty in life. Create it if you have to. How else are you going to remain happy for the rest of your life?