{holly aletha photos & ramblings}: January 2009

I wrote this for my dear, dear, dearest friend, Jen. I thought I'd share, seeing as photography and writing hold equal places in my heart.

“Ode” to Jen

No matter where I go in life, no matter how successful I become, no matter how much money I make, I am nothing without the people who have come into my life over the years, regardless of how big of a role they played. Every single person I have ever met was brought into my life for a reason; everyone I have ever known has brought some sort of meaning, and has enriched my life in some way, shape or form, even if I didn’t realize it at first. “They” say that first impressions are everything, but through personal experience, I’ve found that the judgment someone passes upon another person at first is wrong, more often than not. Take my friend Jen as an example: when we first met, I immediately was annoyed by her—real nice of me, I know. My first impression didn’t do her justice at all; I had no idea how important she would be to me someday. After having her in my life for a while, however, I quickly realized how special she is to me. Who knew that my yoga instructor would evolve into my mentor, my inspiration, and one of my closest friends? I surely didn’t.

I was first formally introduced to Jen at a yoga lesson; I quickly misjudged her as one of those bubbly cheerleader types: she was blonde, with the sort of flowing, perfect hair that is idolized in the American media, and at first I expected her to produce pom-poms out of thin air and burst into some sort of cheer involving all sorts of cartwheels and backhand springs. I guess it was just the cynic in me rearing its ugly head yet again. By the end of the hour, however, my tune had definitely changed.

I think it was her laugh that had won me over. Jen has this infectious laugh that just draws a person in—an easygoing, appreciative laugh that invites a person to laugh along with her. Every time Jen laughs, I’m compelled to laugh too. It’s musical, melodic, and just plain happy…it goads a person to follow her lead and fill their heart with happiness right along with her. When I think of Jen, what automatically comes to mind is her laugh. It’s pure joy.

My youth pastor, Joel always tells me “Find your joy—what fills your heart up? What do you have to hold onto even when times are hard? That’s your joy; the key to living a full, happy life is knowing what gives you joy.” Jen has definitely “found her joy.” She is one of the most joyous people I know, and it shows: she literally glows with happiness, with her bright eyes and her contagious smile. Jenni can fill a room with golden light as soon as she walks into it. She has the beauty and grace a girl dreams of having. This quality might make me green with envy in any other case, but instead, Jen just keeps inspiring me to no end.

I admire her strength—and not just the physical kind…though she is a force to be reckoned with on and off the yoga mat: not only is Jen a yoga superstar, she’s also a spinning machine. And when I say spinning I’m not talking about twirling in circles until you get sick—I’m talking about the demanding form of exercise that involves stationary bicycling. Jen is strong because of her love of exercise (something that I don’t think I’ll ever understand), but she’s also strong in other, less tangible ways.

Like most people, she has been through a lot within her lifetime—probably more than the average 20-something person—but Jen doesn’t let that get in her way. She’s the type of person who makes lemonade when life hands her lemons. She has turned her difficult past experiences into compassion: Jen treats every moment with as much enthusiasm as a child opening gifts on
Christmas morning. She takes every chance she gets to pull a person into a comforting, caring hug—even if she might smell of garlic or sweat or something of the sort, though she never does.
Instead, Jen always smells warm, pretty and feminine--like a classic perfume or a freshly picked bouquet from her garden. Jen shows genuine affection to anyone and everyone she meets and has this innate ability to put a person at ease with her warm, healing touch. She is constantly encouraging and inspiring, with a thoughtful and enthusiastic voice that always speaks the kindest of words.

Because of all of these qualities, Jen possesses the kind of beauty I aspire to grow toward. What’s even more beautiful about her is the fact that she is always looking for new ways to grow as a human being. She offers a safe haven for me—I can tell her anything and she’ll give me honest advice that is in my best interest; she’ll also give me a cup of her favorite tea or a cookie (two things that are definitely a couple of “loves of her life”)—sometimes she even snags me some Juicy Couture flavored lip gloss, another favorite of hers.

As an only child, she is the perfect “sister” to me, as well as the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. Jen’s personality and beauty is evident even within something she signs all of her texts with—her catchphrase, KSL, short for “kiss you, snuggle you, love you.” Jen deserves all the KSL-ing in the world, and I thank God for sending her into my life—I truly believe that everything and everyone happens for a reason. Jennifer Nell Painter is living proof of that…even if she didn’t have me at hello.