Yes, folks, that’s Susan Boyle in that photo.  Isn’t she gorgeous?  Absolutely stunning.

I hope this morning you were able to see Susan Boyle on the Today Show.  If not, you can catch the video at People’s blog.  You will smile.  You will cry.  And, you will realize your dreams can come true too.

We all know her story.  We all heard the beauty of her voice and saw the beauty in her soul.

Now, in their September issue, Harper’s Bazaar has waved their magic wand and allowed her to become a queen for a day.  They brought her to Cliveden which is the former estate of the Astors outside London, dressed her in wonderful clothes, and treated her to the best hair and make-up artists money can buy.  As you can see, the photographs are absolutely stunning.  They captured her essence, and it is gorgeous.

Why am I writing about Susan Boyle?

About a decade ago, I was at a training seminar for women who had experienced domestic violence.  As I looked around the room, I was aware that all the women were beautiful.  None of us felt beautiful.  We felt beat up and discarded like a sack of trash.  Our self-esteem was in the sewer looking up at the toilet.  We all blamed ourselves for not being good enough to be cherished by the men we had loved.

I realized that evening in that dark and dingy church basement that just the opposite was true.  We were wonderful.  We were beautiful.  We were precious.

What had felt like rejection was actually a pre-emptive strike designed to make it feel like we were getting dumped.  But, what was really going on was that he needed to hang on and try to regain control of the relationship.  The abusive men in our lives didn’t want to let us go.  I realized instantly that Ayn Rand was right.  A man with low self-esteem will treat the woman in his life like trash ~ reduce her to his level.

A good man ~ a strong man ~ will treat the lady in his life like a queen.

Several months after that evening in the church basement, we were all blessed to be treated to a day at a salon.  The stylists came in on their day off to do for us what Harper’s Bazaar did for Susan Boyle.  (You can see the video at their web site.)

Our day at the salon was the most precious gift I’ve ever received.  This is why I believe women experiencing domestic violence would benefit more from a day at a spa than a month at a shelter.  We all emerged feeling like queens with a fresh perspective.

Yes, from time to time, I still have days when I feel like this tarnished silver tea pot.

Yet, I know that if I polish it, that it will be restored to glory.  If I use one of those acid-based instant tarnish removers, the silver will pit.  But, if I take the care to slowly and gently remove the layers of tarnish with a quality product, the tea pot will be a family heirloom for generations.

Another analogy that might work for you is that we sometimes need to hide out in the protective cover of a cocoon.  This was Susan Boyle’s life in Scotland.  But, on Easter, she took the first brave step out of her shell and began the metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly.  I think it is important for all of us to remember that God blessed each of us with an amazing talent.  We may not have the voice of an angel like Susan Boyle, but there is a gift inside of all of us just waiting to be released and shared with the world.

What’s your gift?  If you could be queen for a day, what would the day look like?

If your dreams came true like they did for Susan Boyle, would you be happy with that life?

Dream a little dream tonight.  When you wake up tomorrow, take just one baby step toward making your dreams come true.