Be confident in your skin

An open letter to my daughter:

Dear Beautiful,

I see you growing and making your own decisions. You pick out your own haircuts, shoes and clothes. Some are questionable in my eyes but I want you to be you so I support your green headband, brown shorts, blue and black shirt with pink high tops. Girl, you can pull it off. I love you for you. I try to teach you that everyone is different and we all have our own beauty. I personally, think you are the most beautiful thing on this planet but not everyone will feel that way. Not everyone can be your momma. You are amazing, beaming with your beautiful , innocent confidence. I wish I could make you keep that forever but I can't. Society will change you, friends will influence you, magazines will make you feel inferior and there is nothing I can do about it. 

True beauty isn't on the outside, it's on the inside, it's deep down. It may seem cliche but it's true. Many cultures identify beauty on a different level. Beauty isn't about what's wrapped up outside a package with a pretty bow, it's what's inside that box. Beauty is inspiring, it's contagious. It's how you make other people feel in your presence. It's how you love and how compassionate you are towards others. It's achieving that goal no one thought you could. 

We're always going to be judged by our beauty outside but I hope you can keep true on the inside. Be loving, it will go a long way.

Here's my advice to you:

• Always be comfortable in who you are.
• Embrace your differences. You don't have to be the same as someone else.
• Let the negative comments roll off your back.
• If you stand tall, no one can knock you down.
• Believe in yourself.
• Most importantly, love yourself. Love yourself more than you've ever loved anyone else.

You're going to continue to be an amazing person, I believe in you 100%. You're going places, kiddo. I love you more than I will ever be able to show you.

Love,

Mom

Title credit goes to In This Skin - Jessica Simpson

Beam Me Up!

Happy Friday! It's the weekend and I am happy about it. I started this morning not feelin' it at all. Nope. On my way to work, Cazzette came across my XM radio. I dig Cazzette but can't find them on my beloved Spotify, at least not this song. Anyway, I find myself with this tune cranked to volume level 21, windows down, totally jamming. 

Well, that changed my mood. Amazing how just one song can do that. Isn't that exactly why music is so great? We can all find something that speaks directly to us, something each of us can identify with. I think that is fantastic. A few weeks ago, someone posted an article on Facebook about the highest paid DJ's in the business. "Gross", she commented, "Some people have the worst taste in music." Actually, she doesn't have the same taste as others, and that's okay, it doesn't make my taste bad. Personally I think #7 shouldn't be anywhere near those other guys but someone relates to him and I accept that. I don't particularly like country music but I don't think those fans have bad taste, just different taste. I know EDM fans are very protective of our beloved genre and this mainstream stuff doesn't satisfy the die-hards at all. This genre is getting bigger, most of our hidden gems will be ours forever, nothing wrong with some exposure (Like Rolling Stone magazine). 

My point is, that's the best thing about music. Everyone has a different style and everyone has songs that speak to them. Whether it helps them cry, laugh or dance. Maybe it's attached to a distant memory of love lost. Maybe it's a friendship that has lasted decades. It doesn't matter, music is different for each of us. I think that's pretty cool.

Now, beam me up to a place were we stop being snobs about this and enjoy the fact that we all have a common love, music. On the dance floor, we're all the same. 

Title credit goes to - Beam Me Up (Kill Mode) - Cazzette

How do you start again when the whole world ends?

It's been awhile. I've been emotional. Let's get to it.

2 Topics today: Miscarriage and Funerals

It won't be as dark as you think, I promise. Get out your Spotify, folks.

Miscarriage

I suffered one in March. I was 12 weeks along and I feel like my heart was ripped out. Why does this happen to so many of us and how can we move on from it? I guess we don't and won't know. I sure am thankful for my daughter, she really is a blessing. Now, 5 months later, we're putting the pieces back together and trying to get our baby. This has not been easy at all. I feel like all I see is pregnant woman all around me saying "I wasn't even trying! How surprised are we?" Yeah yeah, I get it, I'm broken. Okay, that is dramatic but I feel broken. I have this job, as a woman, to reproduce. How in the world did I fail at that? If you've had a miscarriage, you get these feelings. There are plenty of blogs about miscarriage, blogs that are more well written and beautiful than mine. I wanted to write this up for one reason; a song. A friend of mine sent this song to me and although it makes me cry every time, I just find it helpful . 

Title credit goes to Tyrone Wells - The Most

Second Verse:

Midnight I'm fast asleep

2,000 miles away from you

you're crying as you bleed

You wake me up and break the news

how do you start again

when the whole world ends

there's nothing that makes this right

but I'm on my way tonight

I'll be here

When you need me, when you need me, 

when you need me the most

when you need me, need me the most

I'm always here for you, 

no you are not alone

When you need me, when you need me, 

when you need me the most.

Funerals

This was sparked by 'Six Songs of You" project. Here are mine. It took FOR-EVER because I have about 10 songs for each category. The Funeral song really stumped me. Do I want people to be sad? Do I want people to celebrate me? What the most general funeral song? Truth is, I want people to hear the lyrics and I want them to think of me. I actually had a few songs for this category because, well, they speak to me. I still remember my grandma's funeral. My grandpa said to me "Jess, I need one thing from you. Please find me your grandmas tape of Wind Beneath My Wings -  Bette Midler, I need to play that at her funeral." Of course he did, she loved that song, no other song would have fit. It was played at her funeral and to this day, I can not hear that without thinking of her. 

I went through a few songs before finding the perfect one for this category, I want that lasting legacy. Something for the people I leave behind to hold on to:

Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World

Breathe Me - Sia

Angel -Sarah MacLachlan

Walk You Home - Karmina

If I Die young - The Band Perry

Life Ain't Always Beautiful - Gary Allan

I had a few more but none of them were really 'me'. After all, that was the title of the project. I thought real hard. Wherever You Will Go - The Calling. I adore this song, I have adored this song ever since the day it came into my life. This is the song, it's beautiful, it has to be this song. Now, I'm not planning on leaving this earth anytime soon, but when I do, play this at my celebration.

Sticking to this same project, a few other notable mentions:

• I've already blogged about In My Arms - Plumb, I picked my grand finale song based on my daughter. No question, this song is me, she is my world.
• The Perfect Love Song? It's tough, there are some really great ones out there that make me think of my husband but none more than the winner of this category. Your Body is a Wonderland - John Mayer was in there for awhile. Also, The Only One For Me - Brian McKnight.
• Let me add a happy note to finish this off. I can't even pick one single song that makes me shake my butt. There's a playlist for that.

Click ALL the links! Enjoy your new playlist from the mind of Jessica.