Barb, I read this and literally found myself saying, "Yes..." aloud over and over again. It's so beautifully written. One of the greatest gifts of midlife, at least for me, has been realizing that confidence isn't something we wake up with one morning. It's something we build almost unknowingly as life hands us one hard-earned lesson at a time. Every disappointment we survive, every heartbreak we outlive, every time we discover we're stronger than we imagined leaves behind a little more trust in ourselves.
You are so right. Wisdom doesn't necessarily mean certainty, but a deep knowing that whatever comes next, we've already proven to ourselves that we're capable of finding our way through. Thank you for this beautiful reminder. ❤️
Laurie, thank you so much. Your words touched me this morning. I love how you mentioned the hard earned lessons, disappointments, and heartbreaks that we survive leaving us stronger than we ever imagined. Thank you for reading so thoughtfully, for sharing the essay with your readers, and for highlighting that quote in your Note. Your generosity means more than you know.
You are more than welcome, Barb! It was a truly wonderful piece - one of many wonderful pieces of yours that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. And I think so relatable for many of us midlife ladies!
Barb, “Now I realize the shame was heavier” gives this essay its most consequential turn. The weight loss created space, while graduate school, technology, business-building, speaking, and writing gave your own memory new evidence of what you could carry. Those experiences did more than build confidence; they allowed every earlier version of you to remain inside the woman now choosing what comes next. Thank you for showing how becoming can honor the women we have been while releasing the stories that once kept them small.
Barb, I read this and literally found myself saying, "Yes..." aloud over and over again. It's so beautifully written. One of the greatest gifts of midlife, at least for me, has been realizing that confidence isn't something we wake up with one morning. It's something we build almost unknowingly as life hands us one hard-earned lesson at a time. Every disappointment we survive, every heartbreak we outlive, every time we discover we're stronger than we imagined leaves behind a little more trust in ourselves.
You are so right. Wisdom doesn't necessarily mean certainty, but a deep knowing that whatever comes next, we've already proven to ourselves that we're capable of finding our way through. Thank you for this beautiful reminder. ❤️
Laurie, thank you so much. Your words touched me this morning. I love how you mentioned the hard earned lessons, disappointments, and heartbreaks that we survive leaving us stronger than we ever imagined. Thank you for reading so thoughtfully, for sharing the essay with your readers, and for highlighting that quote in your Note. Your generosity means more than you know.
You are more than welcome, Barb! It was a truly wonderful piece - one of many wonderful pieces of yours that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. And I think so relatable for many of us midlife ladies!
Barb, “Now I realize the shame was heavier” gives this essay its most consequential turn. The weight loss created space, while graduate school, technology, business-building, speaking, and writing gave your own memory new evidence of what you could carry. Those experiences did more than build confidence; they allowed every earlier version of you to remain inside the woman now choosing what comes next. Thank you for showing how becoming can honor the women we have been while releasing the stories that once kept them small.
Beautifully said and so well articulated. I love how you captured the heart of my message.