No Such Thing

“There’s no such thing as being too Southern.”  –Lewis Grizzard

I often find myself wondering who this person is that occupies the body I live in. There are so many things that have shaped the woman that I am, the things that I like, and the way I am that at times it can be confusing. Like a perpetual “About Me” page, I find that describing myself gets more and more difficult as I get older because there are so many conflicting loves and passions.

 

I’m a proud Texan (even if I don’t live there currently I will always be Texan) but have such a heart for West Coast culture. I love the idea of one day living overseas and soaking in Europe with every sense and every pore in my body, but I also can’t ever imagine living that far away from the family that we adore. Nothing beats a night cruising with the windows down and the sticky summer air pouring through the windows while blasting any form of music from classic country to rap to (my personal favorite) all things Jack Johnson. But give me a glass of wine and a roaring fire and a sweet snowfall just about any day and I’d be happy then too.

 

This life is so full of contradictions for me, so many things to love and enjoy and pour into. So many different people that are all so incredibly interesting and lovely. Multitudes of songs and TV shows and clothing and home decor. I love it all, all the time and at the same time.

 

Sometimes I’ll click through blogs and read such beautiful accounts of who these women and men are, what they love and what they write about. I find that so many of them do a fantastic job of saying exactly who they are, only to be reminded that this confusing and beautiful life I lead really can’t be described in just a few sentences. It’s a mess, a maze, a rollercoaster and every stop is something different. The one thing I’ve discovered, though, is that no matter where I am in life the one thing that doesn’t exist is too much Southern.

 

The hospitality, the love, the accents, the food, the tea. The smiles, the customs, the stories. The traditions, disagreements, the country. It’s all so beautiful to me, and while I can’t say for sure how I’ll be able to describe myself from one day to the next, the one thing I know I’ll always feel with pride is that I am both Texan and Southern at heart. Everything else can fit into those definitions, and I’m happy to find out how. But for now, that manifestation of identity (besides in Christ of course) makes my heart pretty happy.

 

So y’all, if you ever think there’s such a thing as too much Southern (or too much sweet tea for that matter), well you’re wrong. Bless your heart 🙂