Almost everything I've ever learned about love I've learned through my close relationships with the women in my life. The innocent way they teach me to find the beauty in every moment has fundamentally shaped my soul. They have taught me that love isn't big shiny gestures, it is all around. There is love in the way my friends and I walk to the beach and melt into one another as the sun carefully paints the sky pink and orange. Sitting comfortable in the stretch of time where nothing is said or done, closing our eyes and daring to dream. The silence isn't uncomfortable, it helps us piece ourselves back together. There is love in the way we giggle like children in the early mornings, dancing like nobody's watching in the kitchen. Eating burnt pancakes with sticky fingers, pushing fallen hair out of our bright eyes. There is love in the simple way we read by the pool, stretching in the shade. Our eyes whisper dreams as the breeze twinkles and wind chimes, the sound shimmering through the air like our laughter. There is love in the way we sit together in front of the big mirror and put on our makeup. The powder filtered in the air mimics the glamor painted in our eyes. The women in my life, consciously or not, have taught me that my perception of every day is molded by the people I surround myself with. Because of them I know that sometimes the only thing you need is a hand to hold. That doctrine is the only thing that balances me in this undeniably cold, superficial world. As long as I have them around me I know that I will have the courage to see the world in color, embracing life with a heart full of questions.