Best wishes to you on the next chapters of your life!! I am so happy for you to see how well things are working out and how the hard work you have done on yourself is flourishing into hundreds of lovely, fragrant lilies. I forget what your favorite flowers are but hopefully you like lilies due to your dogaughter’s name. Just sending you lots of sparkling, shining love and best wishes for the future.

I respect women who are beautiful and stylish and smart more than women who are not stylish and are probably smart (I kind have to admit I kind of shut down when a woman is dumpy and get distracted and don’t listen like I should). My best friend is an Art History PhD candidate at the U of Chicago and one of the things that is fascinating about her (among many, many things) is her style!

John wrote:

“Ironically, Jung’s work on the Types would validate your assertion of your extroverted values.’

Hmmmmm…new post topic for you?

[And if you're into requests, could you delve into your bare-feet-anti-fetish? I don't really share it, but it seems pretty common and I'd love the patented LBR take on it.]

Re the compare and contrast: IMO (ok, and past “-E” in the “black and baggy” sphere) when it comes to sensuality you really can’t judge the proverbial book etc etc. Some of those drab dressers may fail to invest in different types of clothing because they spend a good proportion of their downtime in no-attire-required “adult” romps!

However, judging CHARISMA is another thing entirely and it sounds like Dr SF wore hers well. [It seems to be a lot harder to radiate magnetic power when shrouded in blah, and I'd say that holds true for both genders.]

Me, I’m not too proud to admit that these days I find it easier to let my clothing choices do of the work vs starting from scratch!

The older I get the more I take perverse pleasure in receiving labels from others that don’t mesh with my (core and random add-on bits of) self-identity. Terrible for “personal branding,” fun for me to be more detached about this than I was in my 20s!

ps Welcome back!

I love love your quote:
“Now I am free. I am free to do what I want and to spend my time and money the way I want. Now I get to spend my life doing what I want to do. ”

I feel the same way!

WIshing you all the best!

“i must admit, the number of days that i think, hey perhaps i don’t want children, perhaps they AREN’T for me, perhaps, what we have right now actually IS right for us have vastly begun to outnumber the days i yearn for children.

and i love that quote – “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” so, so, SO, true!”

i *love* this post and sometimes not getting what you want is actually just what you need.

Ironically, Jung’s work on the Types would validate your assertion of your extroverted values.

I guess the world needs variation to be able to make us all happy.

I’m so happy for you, and pleased to read this, and also so jealous. Unfortunately, these days I more often find myself in your “Williams Sonoma Holiday situation” than in the state described in this post.

But I am trying … trying to be patient, trying to trust that it will come, trying to pray for it and believe. That’s all I can do.

P.S. It’s always the hospital pictures that set me off — husband leaning into mom and baby nestled in the adjustable bed, baby wrapped in that same universal hospital receiving blanket that’s white with the pink and blue stripes on the edge. That’s the ultimate portrait of Future Life Potential — captured in the moment before any of the chaos really starts — and I will never be in it.

Leah

Yes, I can just imagine when I’m out there attending Jungian seminars, I’ll blend right in…and I will be sure to appreciate any woman there who comes in put together as you were. I will introduce myself…and I promise to keep my shoes on…

Signed,
A Woodrat