The Prettiest Girl in Lillehammer....

Last April, I made a new friend. His name is Lyle.
Our first exchange was based around the subject of socks~and the fact that I was just wearing sandals. He was worried about my feet being cold. I explained that I was celebrating the first day of spring by setting my feet free. What a silly, beautiful way to make a friend.
Lyle is an older man from Moorhead, a retired pastor who now attends Trinity, frequents my favorite coffeeshop, Moxi Java, and is a regular at chapel. Through all of our encounters in the last year, Lyle has become my adoptive grandpa.

Lyle is one of those unexpected blessings who has absolutely changed my life. He is full of wisdom and wit, great life advice, and he always leaves me with thoughts to ponder. He always leaves me with a smile, and reminds me of the power that a smile has-a smile is like sunshine.

As I was preparing for Norway, I spent a few weeks in Moorhead, just spending time hanging out with friends, working at Trinity, dancing at the studio. During one of these days, I was at chapel and I ran into Lyle. We exhanged updates on life and we talked about my upcoming journey. He proceeded to tell me this story (as told from his perspective):

When my mother was younger, her neighbor always came over for tea. Her neighbor was an elderly woman from Lillehammer who loved her dog, getting on in years & was lonely. So my mother had her & her little dog over for tea & coffee everyday. This little old lady would tell stories of her time in Lillehammer as a young lady, and everday she would end her story with  "...and I was the prettiest girl in Lillehammer!"

Every time Lyle told me this story, he would smile and tell me that it was my turn to be the prettiest girl in Lillehammer...ahh, fer cute! And so far from the truth--Norweigians are the most beautiful people in world (except perhaps the Icelandic people)!

But Lyle's story makes my heart smile. And like all of his stories, it's made me think. My advisor at Concordia has a saying about stories that has hit close to home as I pondered this tale from Lyle: "I believe stories are true. Some of them actually happened, but all of them are true." This woman was indeed the prettiest girl in Lillehammer. True story.

And now it's my turn. To soak up the beauty that surrounds me (mountains surrounding me, majestic pines leading our eyes heavenward, crisp air rejeuvinating me as I walk to class or stoll through town). To absorb the sheer awesomeness of this experience in the people I'm traveling with and the people I've met. To learn about and question my place in the world. There is beauty here. And there's something truly beautiful about knowing that there are people at home-people like my friend Lyle-who are sending love my way and supporting me all the way.

The day I left Moorhead, Lyle gave me a present: a little. gold address book embossed with the Concordia seal: "So you always remember where you come from, even when you are the prettiest girl in Lillehammer."

It's not about being drop dead gorgeous or thin or stylish. It's about being open to laughter, to love, to knowledge and wisdom that comes from the people you encounter on a daily basis. That's what makes us all--you, me & everyone else--the prettiest person from wherever we are. How very cool.

Love from the prettiest girl in Lillehammer.