mo(u)rning restoration

when i heard she had written about me i knew it would bring tears. and it did. not the bad kind of tears, but the good tears. the i'm so grateful tears. i feel lucky to know this little gem. and humbled that she would be able to say such kind and thoughtful things about me. i was fairly warned though because she had asked me to do an interview for her recently. so here is a snippet of what was written:

"Hayden and I have been close since we met, and I remember telling her about my eating disorder freshman year as if it were a thing of the past. I knew it wasn’t. so did Hayden. But she loved me anyway.Also coexisting with Hayden behind the white door, is a conglomeration of bohemian antiqueness that never fails to pull me inside- leaving angst, disillusionment, and discouragement safely behind the old door’s three locks. Hayden has a natural finesse for hospitality, but it’s much more than that that’s made her happy, humble abode such a safe and happy haven. She’s been through a lot herself that’s allowed her to learn true health and balance. Although she never had a diagnosable eating disorder, she’s more than dabbled, and she’s come out on the other side as a shining testament to how able we are to love others once we finally learn to love ourselves."

{question for me, ansleyhayden}: "what are some aspects of your life and the world around you that have  helped you come to the realization that taking care of yourself is worth it?

'The GREATEST, GREATEST thing that ever happened for me was just getting  emotionally balanced and  understanding the value that the Lord has placed on my life. You know if you aren’t taking care of yourself and valuing your health it is impossible for  you to accomplish  what you were set in motion to accomplish.'

Perhaps the reason that I’ve found such safety inside the bohemian wonderland behind the white door is that whenever I’m with Hayden, I find I’m most myself."

{another question for me, ansleyhayden} "if there's one thing you'd like to say to women across the world about health  and balance, what is it?

'Find your own unique value. Wherever you have to go to find it, seek it out incessently.  You have to. You are not a  sum of numbers- the pants size number, the number of dates  you’ve been on, the number of men you have or have  not slept with, the money in your  checking-account, the calories you’ve consumed. Challenge this crazy notion and enjoy  your life! He put us here for a reason that has no number. For the glory of God is {wo}man fully alive.'"

you can view the rest at her lovely blog mo(u)rning restoration. 

where there is love (for yourself), there is art.