From Miss for Denver 2020, Jody Touchton:

May the 4th be with you today my friends! I’m not embarrassed to admit I’ve been a Star Wars geek since childhood. Interestingly, Star Wars fans weren’t the first to recognize today to honor the epic sci-fi series.  The day actually has been around since May 4, 1979, when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and her party’s advertisement in the London Evening News said:  "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations."

In other sci-fi scenarios, I know many of us feel like we are living in a sci-fi movie with Coronavirus, strange news, and economic uncertainty.  And as we all try to do our part to “quarantine,” I find it serendipitous that today is exactly 40 days from the implementation of Colorado’s “Shelter at Home” order.....especially since the etymology of the word comes from the Italian word quarantina meaning forty days.  

I’ve learned some interesting things about myself these past 40 days including finally confirming a theory I’ve had that I might be an introvert.  While it’s something I’ve suspected for a long time, the pressure to keep the hamster wheel rotating all these years for fear of disappointing the people and causes I care about has significantly impacted my ability to rest and recharge.  It wasn’t until I was given a “free pass” with the quarantine, that I began to feel lighter from temporarily hanging up the heavy coat of responsibility I was wearing.  

Author Eleanor Brown best explains this new freedom I’m experiencing with her wise words, “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

So when the 2020 Miss for Colorado and Mrs. Colorado titleholders were recently given the opportunity to document the creative and inspiring ways they were using their quarantine time, I was less than enthusiastic to share how much I’ve enjoyed being a complete homebody doing nothing.  I am happy to report however, that when we all return to some form of “normal,” I will indeed be ready to serve again as your Miss Denver.  

In the meantime, I created a recap video of the wonderful organizations I’ve had the honor of serving these past several months and the amazing fellow titleholders I’ve met and become friends with.  I hope we’re allowed to hug each other during pageant week from July 8th-11th! There’s still time if you’d like to join us......May 29th is the deadline to participate!