The other day I was in the mall and noticed three young ladies walking in front of me. They were laughing and having a great time, just enjoying each other’s company. All three of them looked beautiful wearing pretty mini dresses. What caught my attention was the way they walked: heads up, backs straight and moving with a strut that displayed a whole lot of confidence. I was proud of them and started reminiscing about my younger days. I was not confident like the young ladies, instead I lived in fear.

Fear caused me not to strut because I didn’t want people to think I was conceited. Fear caused me to be silent when something was wrong because I didn’t want to seem opinionated. In other words, fear led me to make myself small so others could feel big.

When I turned forty, I found my confidence and lost my fear. As long as I wasn’t doing anything to bring shame to myself or my family I stopped worrying about other people’s opinions and their thoughts pertaining to me.

Fear no longer stops me from strutting because I strut daily. Fear no longer keeps me silent because I found my voice and stand up for myself when something is wrong. In other words, instead of making myself small, I have made myself a giant!

Next month, I will be eighty years young and I’m loving my life. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for me. It took me a while to find my confidence, but praise God, I found it. To the young ladies in the mall, keep strutting, keep speaking, keep displaying confidence…you are GIANTS!

Mary Simmons is a columnist for The K-V Dispatch. She can be reached at ABoxofLoveKVD@gmail.com.