My mom was the master of wise old sayings. Come to our house and you would hear, "Never put off til tomorrow what you can do today," "Beauty is as beauty does," and "Necessity is the mother of invention."
Today I'm going to resort to her saying, "Better late than never." It's been in the back of my mind for months that I need to complete my Encyclopedia of Moi. Months turned into years and I realized today that it's been two years since I posted the letter E. No, I won't give up -- I will finish what I started, it just may take a lifetime. So I sat down and thought about what has been meaningful and fun in my life, all beginning with the letter F!
Faith - There are times it has eluded me, but I always come
back to this core of my existence -- my faith. Faith in God, faith that
things will get better, faith in people that I love. The word faith probably pops into my conversations several times a week! There is no doubt in my mind that the more we practice faith, the more we experience it's growth in our lives. 
Family - My family means the world to me! We have strong family ties and in our hearts we know that we will always be there for one another, no matter what. My parents taught my siblings and me unconditional love and my sisters and I strive to pass that on to our children and one another. I feel so fortunate to have a family that shares this value. Add to that a sense of humor that sends us into laughing fits, and I think we're pretty blessed to be part of such a balanced way of approaching life.
Friends - My friends come from so many areas of my life. My "oldest" friends I keep in touch with are from grade school and high school. I have a couple of cousins who are good friends that I can call on the phone and it is like all time melts away when we make contact. I've made new friends through the years through other friends, work and volunteer activities. Through my nonprofit work, I've made friends with people all over the world and now have close friends in England and Kenya who I never would have met had it not been for this world opening to me. My daughters and sisters are the best friends I could ever ask for! It's such a joy and comfort to open yourself up to the richness of friendship.
French - Today I'm sharing a secret with you -- I'm a bit of a Francophile. This started when I was a very young girl,
actually, with French influences throughout my life such as...~French classes were offered in my elementary school one summer, and I signed up so learned to speak and write French and appreciate French culture at a young age. This has followed me ever since. I took French again in college and my professor was impressed enough with my skill to recommend me for a full scholarship to attend a year of college in France. One of my biggest regrets in life was NOT taking advantage of that scholarship! Parlez-vous Francais?
~The Christmas my dad gave my mom a tiny French poodle -- Tiny Lily was hidden under his overcoat when he came in the door that Christmas Eve and voila! We had a new family pet -- my mom loved this dog dearly.
~When I was about 9 years old, my mom gave me my first bottle of perfume --"Evening in Paris." I can still close my eyes and remember the scent and see that blue bottle. Do you remember that fragrance? I felt très sophistiquée.
~There was a magazine spread (I'm thinking it was Life magazine) about France in our living room which I loved to study -- I remember one picture in particular that showed a girl about my age walking down a cobblestone street with bags of baguettes in her arms, and I imagined what her life was like.
~Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was the first lady when I was at an impressionable age, and she brought a love of French sophistication and elegance to her role.
~I've been to France a couple of times and j'adore la France!
~Last, but not least, some of my ancestors were French, so I'm entitled! ;)
Ooh
la la -- my inner French girl is alive and well!
Flowers - Who doesn't love flowers? Each time I pass a field of wild flowers I want to stop and take a picture.
Join in and start your own Encyclopedia of Moi!
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