Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Day 30: Write a letter to your future mate saying whatever you want to say

Happiness is a form of courage..This is it. The post you've all been waiting for. The final 30 day blog challenge post. I never did it last year when I did this challenge because I was still in the process of getting over someone who was not even living up to the standards I'm about to set with this letter. Why did I wait? Mostly because I'm a little afraid of putting this out there. It may scare a huge amount of guys away...but I guess, the ones that are left standing are the ones worth taking a good look at. Without further ado, here goes everything I have wanted to say for so long:

Dear Future Husband,

Just those three words have triggered the memory of the melody of a popular song by someone who isn't afraid to lay down the law when it comes to men, Ms. Meghan Trainor.

Yet, I'm not here to talk about her today. I'm here to talk about me, and you, Mr. Mystery. A guy I may have met or have yet to meet who I will one day marry.

With that word, many guys will have exited this window, and found themselves clicking onto Instagram or Facebook looking for pictures of scantily clad women.

Being that you are still here reading this, you've shown some great potential. And now I can trust to share what's really on my mind.....




Dear Future Husband,

Thanks for sticking around this long.

I don't know where to start really because no one has stuck around this long before.

Hi, My name is Chelsea DeVries. I don't know if you've had a chance to look around this blog, or you've been to this blog before, but I'm a writer. Words mean the world to me.

Matter of fact, I had to read a book once for a class I didn't really want to take in college but it was about the language of love and there are five specific ones. You'll have to read the book to know them all but mine turned out to be a big surprise: words of affirmation and quality time.

This means I like when people encourage me with their words and give me their time. Quality time doesn't just mean they spend five seconds listening to me talk and then tune me out for something more interesting...Quality time means that the person looks me in the eyes and listens to what I have to say genuinely. The right way to love me, according to this book, is offering me encouraging, heartfelt words and making me feel that what I have to say is of value. I'd say that  I have to say should and does matter to me, and I hope that it makes a difference for anyone that reads what I write.

Since I know that it's already a lot for you to read this all the way through, I'll save you a little work. If you want to know your own love language, Click here now.

Anyway. I'm a writer because when I was younger and growing up, I was always a shy, soft-spoken child. I became this way because I always had a sunny demeanor on life, and naturally, my peers saw it as a threat, so they bullied me. Which caused me to feel as though if I spoke too loud, I may get stopped, pushed down, yelled at, argued with, rejected, left without a friend.

Needless to say, I've got a lot of trust issues. I've overcome a lot of the bullying and learned that being true to myself is the only way I'm going to stay happy, and I've decided to be the bold, fearless young woman I always knew I could be, and over the past two years, I've learned how to love that person in a healthy way. Writing is the only way I've ever gotten people to pay attention.

Therefore, now that you're here this long, I'm guessing you think you can handle me despite what I've faced in my past and that's a really good sign.

Yet, I'm going to need someone who understands the following:

I'm always going to love Jesus more than you. He was the first man I ever met in this life that died in pursuit of my love. I'd say that takes the cake. Now, of course, I don't want you to die for me to prove that you are worthy of my love. I just want you to be willing to do anything for me in the same way Jesus died for me, thinking of me the entire time.

I love dogs more than people. I love people; yet dogs have always loved me for me. They've never left in search of anyone better, betrayed me, or intentionally hurt me in any way.  My best friend is in fact a dog. If you don't love Jesus or dogs, now is the time to walk out. We have no future if you don't love either.

Now that this is settled, and you are still here, I'm really intrigued. There may be something happening here that is greater than the both of us.

I'm a Leo so I'm going to have my moments of serious pride, and I'm going to lose my temper too quickly at times.

If you can't handle my sass, then you don't deserve my ass. lol. I don't know if anyone has ever said that, but I just did. What what?!

I'm not going to list a bunch of dealbreakers because as much as I believe in setting standards, relationships develop more genuinely if you don't start them by saying things like:

No Albanians
No guys with a gap between their teeth
No guys with tattoos

This is the 21st century and we live in a society where pretty much anything goes so I don't expect you to be perfect; I just expect you to be reasonably sane and in good mental health.


It would also mean a lot if you respected the things that make me me:
a tendency to streak my hair with purple hair dye, the tendency to curse like a sailor because I don't care, and a fervent love of street skateboarding, broadway musicals, and choreographing dances to my favorite songs. Oh, and I like to practice singing different songs in the shower. It's the only place where I can find out what genres fit my voice best. I also have a tendency to tell my mom everything because I admire her so much.

Now that you've been debriefed, and in all honesty, let me just say thanks for reading this. I was really quite nervous writing this. I mean it. Ask my family. I had a spontaneous rash appear on my neck while I was writing this. #AwkwardTimesforaRash

I cannot wait to meet you. Or reunite with you. You, young handsome man who loves Jesus and dogs, and one day hopefully me.

Until we meet again, I'll be singing this song loud everywhere I go

Love,
Chelsea
xoxo
~Just Keep Swimming~

Lyrics from Meghan Trainor's song, Dear Future Husband
Dear future husband,
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life

Take me on a date
I deserve it, babe
And don't forget the flowers every anniversary
'Cause if you'll treat me right
I'll be the perfect wife
Buying groceries
Buy-buying what you need

You got that 9 to 5
But, baby, so do I
So don't be thinking I'll be home and baking apple pies
I never learned to cook
But I can write a hook
Sing along with me
Sing-sing along with me (hey)

You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things you'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life
Dear future husband,
If you wanna get that special lovin'
Tell me I'm beautiful each and every night

After every fight
Just apologize
And maybe then I'll let you try and rock my body right
Even if I was wrong
You know I'm never wrong
Why disagree?
Why, why disagree?

You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life (hey, baby)
Dear future husband,
Make time for me
Don't leave me lonely
And know we'll never see your family more than mine

I'll be sleeping on the left side of the bed (hey)
Open doors for me and you might get some kisses
Don't have a dirty mind
Just be a classy guy
Buy me a ring
Buy-buy me a ring, (babe)

You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life
Dear future husband,
If you wanna get that special loving
Tell me I'm beautiful each and every night

Future husband, better love me right






Monday, February 9, 2015

Love in Hot Pursuit: A Valentine's Day Tale

Happiness is a form of courage...Recently, I took a social media cleanse. I did because well, I was going through some stuff within my family that I didn't want to share with the world. I'm basically training myself how to be a better PR professional. Celebrities rarely take to Twitter to post tweets about different people they aren't particular fond of at the moment because that's petty and immature. It took me awhile to learn that basically anyone can see what I post online and it could resurface anytime, so I'm careful now with what I post.

     Anyway, the first day of my social media cleanse. I watched a well-known movie. The movie I watched:

Most everyone young and old knows the story but this time, I wasn't watching the movie for the parts I always loved since I was little. Sure, I sang along to my favorite song A dream is a wish your heart makes but I realized something profound.

Cinderella may have been a servant girl but she never saw herself as a servant. And no matter how absolutely evil her "family members" (her stepmother and stepsisters) were to her, she killed them with kindness. As much as she could have sassed them out, (we all know Cinderella could have told them to sit the heck down and shut up), Cinderella kept quiet and had this silent confidence that shown through when she met the prince. 

The greatest thing about her meeting the prince was that when she walked into the ball, she just wanted to dance. She never even focused on meeting the prince. She was just there to have a good time. She was living in the moment. Not at all looking for the prince to sweep her off her feet and expect that after that happened, she would think about being happy. No, no matter if she met the prince or not, she was just happy to be there. Ladies, did you hear me? Prince or no prince, She chose happiness.

Then, after she meets the prince, and they float across the dance floor to "This Is Love," midnight strikes, and she loses her glass slipper. Instead of being a total diva about it, she nonchalantly just leaves the party. Doesn't ask for the prince's number or Twitter handle. She just leaves because she came happy, she's going to leave happy. Did you catch that? Her happiness had to do with her, not the prince. What a concept, am I right?

The prince ends up literally breaking every royal law in hot pursuit of finding the girl who lost her glass slipper. The prince didn't fall in love with her because she wore glass louboutins or she was thirsty for the prince to notice her. She honestly was just herself and even though she worked as a servant girl, she knew that this was just a stepping stone to her greater destiny: being a princess♥

In the same way that Prince Charming was in hot pursuit of Cinderella from the moment she left the ball, God is in hot pursuit of me. I realized this while watching Cinderella and I realized it again over the past few weeks. His ultimate goal for me is that I know every day that he loves me. So every day, he pursues me in that love. That beautiful unmerited love that just heals all forms of hurt and pain, and every broken part of me.

Yes, it's nice that I love him but he wants me to remember above all, that He loves me unconditionally. Now, go ahead, read that next part out loud: "God Loves Me."♥

This Valentine's Day with this truth washing over me and warming me like the Florida sunshine on a cloudless day, I chose, instead of searching for people to be good to me, but opportunities to be good to others. This year, I made Valentines for strangers I didn't know. Local elderly in my area. And you know what? It was so much fun to give love to others whether or not they deserve it. And with the knowledge of God's love for me, I was able to truly love others. How profound is that?





Until next time and this Valentine's Day, remember: You are loved and you matter!

Love Times Infinity,
Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~

This Valentine's I treated myself to a new dress from Bethany Mota's spring collection only at Aeropostale. To purchase from her exclusive clothing line, visit a local Aeropostale store or visit Aeropostale.com 





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