365 Days (Part 2) | ✓

259. Under the Influence

259. Under the Influence: What is something has impacted you positively in your life?

Everyone needs a friend like Taylor. Even though she is my own age, she is someone I deeply admire, respect, and strive to emulate. Although we're not super close, I would trust Taylor with anything, and I have only good things to say about her.

Taylor is someone who is utterly beautiful. I think when we call someone beautiful in modern culture, we immediately think this applies to physical beauty. When I call Taylor beautiful, though, I mean it in a deeper, purer way. Taylor shines with inner beauty. It literally pours out from her whenever she smiles, whenever she talks, whenever she laughs. It pours out from her whenever she is sad, even, though I have rarely seen her sad. She is beautiful when silly and serious. I have never seen someone more beautiful than Taylor.

It’s the type of beauty that draws you to her. She's popular because she has this magical way of making you feel loved -- and she does it by loving you -- and she loves you by loving Christ. Her smile is always gracing her face, and even when it's not, you know it's not far away. I love that about Taylor. Simply being in her cloud of inner joy and peace lifts your own spirit up.

There's a lot of things Taylor has unconsciously done for me. She showed me how lovely a relationship with God is. She showed me how to be strong, ladylike, compassionate, and good, and yet made it look so attractive that I wanted to be those things too. She showed me what valuing yourself means. Taylor treats herself like a gift, and boys notice. She is modest, but also pretty. She is kind and caring, but never flirtatious of pushy. Her conversations are truly "seasoned with salt."

She possesses a deep faith and a strong relationship with God. Everyone loves her because she lives what she believes, and what she believes makes her sweet, soft, and altogether lovely. Taylor is a once in a lifetime friend, and I hope she and everyone else realizes just how special she is. I am blessed and grateful to know her.