Happy Birthday, Audrey Hepburn!

Those who know me know that I am very passionate about the things I’m passionate about. Books. Rescue beagles. Tim Riggins. Rescue beagles named Riggins. If you get me talking about something or someone I adore, I generally can’t stop, so it should come as no surprise that today, on Audrey Hepburn’s birthday, all I want to do is gush about her.

So many of us want to be like Audrey. We throw on a black dress or some cropped pants and think, “This is so Audrey!” You can’t blame us. Audrey herself once said that her look was attainable and that women could look like her by buying large sunglasses and little sleeveless dresses.  And while it’s true that we can try our best to dress like Audrey—and while I’d never, ever want to question anything Audrey has said—I just don’t think any of us will ever really pull it off. Why? Because Audrey’s beauty was not about her ballet flats or her crisp white blouses. Audrey’s beauty came from being utterly and completely Audrey. Read about her work with UNICEF, listen to an interview of someone who knew her, watch thirty seconds of her on screen, and you’ll see that her beauty came from the inside. She was unique. She was kind. She was giving. She was Audrey.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t borrow a few life lessons from her. We can dedicate ourselves to helping others. We can be humble. We can remember that at the end of the day, our families and the people we love are more important than anything. We can do the things we love. We can be ourselves, because no one else can do it better.

And, you know, we can also try to dress like her because her look will never, ever go out of style.

Today, on what would have been Audrey’s 84^th birthday, let’s remember what it is that we love about her so much. I’ve shared some of my favorite Audrey quotes below. Hopefully, they’ll bring a little bit of grace to everyone’s day, just like Audrey did.

“The world has always been cynical, and I think I’m a romantic at heart. I hope for better things, and I thank God the world is also full of people who want to be genuine and kind.”

 “I walk with my dogs which keeps me fit. I talk to my dogs, which keeps me sane. I can’t think of anything that makes one happier than to cuddle and play and to start the day with a warm puppy.”

“The greatest victory in my life has been to be able to live with myself, to accept my shortcomings and those of others. I’m a long way from being the human being I’d like to be. But I’ve decided I’m not so bad after all.”

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—that’s all that matters.”