i'm me, not you!

day two.

question: what makes you uniquely you?

well, i'm pretty sure there are a million other girls in general proximity with green eyes and caramel brown hair that stand five feet almost seven inches.  i'm just as certain there quite a few attending a religious university studying the social sciences.  and, as proven by one simple phone call an hour ago, i know there are at least three others at this university with the same first and last name as me.

but.

my guess is that not as many can say they've spent about four years as a vegetarian and vegan.  i feel my journey toward health alone sets me apart, a little.  putting a name to an illness at age fourteen started a snowball effect that's left me knowing more about whole foods, holistic living, and disease prevention than many at age twenty-one.  

that little demonstration alone shows that one of the largest factors in the uniqueness scale is our experience.  growing up in a family with six daughters, a dog, and two cats is a little bit different, as is being home-schooled through a good portion of my elementary experience.  two other factors adding to one's unique makeup are our loves and passions.  mine are a little unique because of their diversity.  visual arts, art history, music, chocolate, the sciences, math, literature, food, and running are just a few to start.  next, our enjoyments make us strikingly individual - no two people like exactly the same thing.  i enjoy the desert sunshine, frozen bananas, and yoga.  last, i think our decisions set us apart.  our past decisions shape the experience that makes us who we are today, but our decisions in the current moment - the ones that are shaping our future are the ones that really define our unique identity.  today, i choose to be happy.

i guess there's really no "one thing" that makes me unique, but the sum of my experiences, loves, passions, enjoyments, and decisions add up to someone that can't be replicated.  it's for that - the uniqueness i know is all mine and can never be taken away from me - that i thank my Heavenly Father for.  i'm thankful to be me.

and from now on, i'm going to strive to show that thankfulness a little more each day.