Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Have you ever had a person in your life, either close to you or someone you met once, that has left such an impression you'll never forget?  I have a lot of people who are close to me in my life that I am lucky enough to draw inspiration from.  But there is one person imparticular that stands out.  I met this girl a couple of years ago and while I wouldn't say we are best friends, I would like to think I can count her as a friend.  When I first met her I thought she had it all.  She was nice, hip, had style for days and the perfect little family.  She always had the cutest haircuts and I never saw her looking frumpy or messy.  She had talent coming out of her ears.  I admired her.  At first the admiration almost bordered on envy.  This was at a time where I felt unsure of myself, I felt so bitterly unattractive (after having my first child and all the horrible, unexpected changes to the body!) and I was struggling all around with myself on a personal level.  It would bug me that I used to have so much potential and that I used to be somewhat attractive and stylish but that after motherhood I completely lost myself.  Not to say there aren't still days that I stuggle with this, becuase boy are there!   But then I would see her in a super cute outfit and I started looking at my closet differently, putting effort into choosing my outfits.  I would see her with a new haircut and I would go to the salon (something I had gotten away from) and let the stylist work her magic.  I started working out and losing weight (something I NEED to start again and will!).  I also stared getting serious about my photography.  This was a passion that we both shared and I would look at her work in awe, just wanting to get better and be at her level of creativity and technical savvy.  I didn't want to copy her, but to achieve my own style and to rock it better than anyone else.  It's sounds cheesy to say she is my Muse, but more like someone who drives me to do better, to be better.  Then she was hit with an obstacle in her life that would make most of us give up and find a corner to melt into a puddle.  But she faced it head on, made huge changes in her life and developed such a passion about it.  She wasn't going to take anything lying down and as hard as those changes must have been to make, she did it while laughing in the face of her obstacle.  While most of us (including me) would have lost their faith and started questioning life, her faith remained and even grew stronger.  I can't think of a better person to be inspired by.  If she is reading this, you know who you are.  At this point you are either incredibly embarassed to know me or you are flattered.  I hope it's the latter, because you deserve the praise.  Keep rocking it out in the way that only you can!