TODAY THE WORDS are WHAT IS A SOUTHERN BELLE? I was listening to a great recording of an interview this morning with my mentor and life long friend Peggy Mercer with Beat Magazine and Southern Belle popped into my mind. Peggy, would rather be considered a cowgirl having grown up in a rural environment, but I was seeing the silhouette of a true southern lady. Talented but humble, confident but kind, a force to be reckoned with if you mess with her values, and loving spirited lady who tells it like it really is in this world; there it is a picture of a southern belle. I thought I would share some thoughts on how we as Southern ladies look at things in the South. I feel there are exceptions to this description; however, most of the women who are reading this post in my home state of Georgia will relate to this message. Even though there are silver spoons in existence, a lot of us never used them growing up. We had the more practical flatware, silver plated at best. We worked along side others starting out young; we had chores to do before school and after school. We were taught respect to our parents, as well as other adults, and even to each other (now we might have stepped over a few boundaries in the school yard once in a while). Our brothers and sisters were our own individual “army” and we would fight if someone hurt one of us. It was common courtesy to say Yes Ma’am and Yes Sir; Thank You and You’re Welcome. As is obvious, we have a southern accent but it was made for us to slow down and think about what the other person was really saying to us. Listening to Peggy, she was also gracious to her host and that may be fast becoming an endangered species, someone who is gracious and not overbearing and self centered. Scarlett O’Hara was the picture of a true Southern belle also and we saw a woman who, during the hardest and most difficult times, was steadfast in her mission, who could be tender one minute and ready to fight the next. Now for my deeper thought….Take away the Southern accent and look around as God wants us to be fearless in our lives, well mannered and even gentle to others, kind in our actions but steadfast to our beliefs, giving and charitable but protective with our rights and family. Maybe in our faith, we take the stand of a true Southern Belle!
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Proverbs 31:30 King James Version (KJV)
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
(c) copyright 2012 Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission.
