Last night I dreamed about my late paternal grandmother, Granny. She told me I had really let myself go.:) Freelancing does bad things to your sense of style because unless you have a client meeting, you're working alone for the most part. And it's hard to get motivated to blow-dry and fluff when your only office mates are Hank and Cheeto the Cats. I do take pity on my poor husband from time to time and throw on a little blush and maybe a spritz of Oscar de la Renta. Still, I'm probably wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt as I head out to "the office," aka the Story Shack in our side yard.
Back to Granny—as much as we loved each other, the two of us had a life-long struggle for understanding. I was always a little bookish and introverted. She was beautiful and stylish and never met a party she couldn't be the life of. And yet she managed to raise Daddy, who definitely has an eye for great-looking clothes but firmly believes "it's what's on the inside that counts." My mother is the same way. Southern mamas can have a thing or two to say about how their girls look, but most of the time, my mother only speaks up if she believes my appearance reflects something more important—I'm working so much that I don't even have time to make my clothes match, or maybe I'm going through one of those phases where I'm not entirely happy with myself and have begun taking it out on my wardrobe.
Granny had a point in that dream—though maybe not the one she meant to make. Women have a real tendency to "let ourselves go," and I don't mean that in the superficial "for heaven's sake, put on some lipstick" sense. I mean we "let ourselves go" to the back of the line when it comes to needs being met. Men do it, too. Dave completely supported my decision to quit my job in the middle of a recession and try to start a freelance business. That took a lot of love and courage and selflessness on his part. I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes we all need to look ourselves in the mirror and say, "You've let yourself go—it's time to get yourself back and take better care of yourself because you matter."
As for your wardrobe, always be sure to dress appropriately:
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive
whatever grievances you may have
against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues
put on love,
which binds them all together
in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
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