What Defines You?

Yesterday I had an interesting experience as I was shopping at the grocery store. An older gentleman was working in the store next to me in the produce department when I noticed some spilled milk on the floor. (I, of course, noticed it as I unfortunately slipped on it and tore my already injured hamstring from playing in a soccer game the night before. The irony?)

Anyhow, I said, "Sir, there's a spill here." He immediately went to retrieve a mop to clean up the spill and after mopping the mess up he came to my side, placed his hand on mine and said in a sweet voice, "My name is Antonio, please call me Antonio, instead of Sir." I giggled and said, "Of course." Then Antonio said to me, "I must also tell you how beautiful you are!" I grinned from ear to ear and said, "Wow! Thank you!" He then asked me if I was married and my heart raced because of my fear he might be hitting on me. I said, "Yes" and then he said sincerely, "Will you please go home and tell your husband that he is a very lucky man to have such a beautiful wife!" I again smiled from ear to ear and said I would do so after which he walked away and I continued gathering fruits and vegetables, but now with a large smile. After another few minutes, Antonio returned and I must admit, my first thought as he approached was, "Oh, no he really is stalking me, maybe I shouldn't be so easily impressed by his comments." He came up to me and said, "I must also tell you that when I touched your hand I could tell you have a warm heart and are a special person!" ....Um! "Wow, thank you" was my reply as he walked away.

After my shopping trip, I headed home to do just as Antonio asked of me, tell Dave how lucky he was, as if I don't already tell him enough, right? Anyhow, this time he agreed with Antonio and was quite impressed at this Old Man's genuine comments! Usually, he, Dave, teases me relentlessly if I even talk to another guy because of my, what he calls, 'flirty personality'.

Upon thinking of Antonio's comment towards my "beauty" and my "warm heart" I came upon the question, "What defines me?" I have had a lot of soul searching the last few years of my life with my mother's passing, the blending of a new family, renovating our new home, moving, and becoming recently financially tight as the economy slows down and makes it harder for Dave to sell Log Home Packages. One thing that I've learned is that each of us have different motivators that help us make our daily decisions. For example, what to wear? I will admit that there have been times in my life when I was Defined by what I was wearing. Or by what my home looked like, or my children, or the cars I drive, or dream to drive (LOL =} Brynnie!) As I've pondered this question for a while now, I've noticed myself upon seeing a particularly beautiful, well put together Mother of many perfectly dressed and mannered children and feeling discouraged and dissappointed at my feeble attempt to appear exactly so in society. It is in these moments that I have learned to ask myself, "Yes, but did she read her scriptures today?" I do this not to judge her, but merely to remind myself that while these worldly beauties can bring temporal happiness, beautifying my spirit and building up my light source within will bring eternal happiness. My mother always said of herself, "You just wait because, I'm a babe in disguise." and given her earthly overweight issues and her overwhelmingly large and extremely educated spirit, I doubt it not, and nor did she! What an example and testimony to me!

Therefore as Antonio, told me I was beautiful, I grinned, but as he told me I had a warm heart, it swelled. I was more affected by his feelings for my warm heart than those for my earthly beauty in his eyes. I realized in this moment that my spirit is what defines me and I must remember that daily!