I had this thought, too. I think the reaction you describe might end up being more common if they used a bigger group.

Yeah, for me it's always been more about the people in person, too. I don't expect to look like an image marketed to me.

In general, I agree with your comment. I think women ARE too hard on themselves (and other women, and men are too hard on us, as well). I agree that confidence is very attractive, no matter what you look like.

I think you look cute and friendly and approachable. I don't see anything that needs to be done in Photoshop.

I've been seeing more freckles showing up in re-touched photos these last several years, so maybe it's moving away from that. It's amazing how different a freckled person can look once they're taken away—it would bother me, too, in your place.

My reaction probably would have been more along the lines of wishing I looked more like what they made me (and I'm generally pretty okay with my looks).

I really like the shape of that couch. If there's no hope of trying to match the fabric on the rest of it, then maybe a nice chocolate brown or espresso color?

It seems to be meant to serve an analogous purpose to what a pantyliner does—not full-on protection like a tampon or an actual pad, but will give you a few seconds' head start and catch small leaks.

When my husband first got Crohn's (he was nineteen), he had to do the maxi pad thing, too. He wasn't in school at the time, at least...but that was mainly because he got so ill he had to drop out of college, and almost died. I can't imagine going through such a thing at high school age, where you're self-conscious…

I just spent the last couple days with some kind of stomach/intestinal bug, so that's a potential scenario. Provided I didn't end up being allergic to the adhesive, like I am with most things. Wouldn't THAT be a fun trade-off?

Thank goodness I'm not the only one sitting here thinking it isn't funny.

I neither agree nor disagree, as I've never married anyone who had children from a previous relationship, so can't really say one way or another. However, I think this is an interesting statement and am curious about what brought you to this conclusion.

Oh, really? Got any statistics on that? Because my observation has shown me the exact opposite.

It may reduce the divorce rate, but how many couples who remain married largely because of religious beliefs are unhappy, and just going through the motions because "God says"...?

That's great news—I'm glad to hear (er, read) it :)

Your abuser sounds right in line with a lot of what I've read. Some of them actually think they're protecting the child, somehow. Nope.

I'm sorry no one helped you when you were a kid. That's a terrible situation to be in :(

I do this kind of thing, too. It's just easier to deal with stuff and then talk about it when I'm ready than try to translate things I don't necessarily have words for yet into something other people might actually understand. I only have so much energy, and I need to spend it taking care of whatever the problem is.…

How convenient!

I thought he was talking about the relationship with Mia, when I read that...but they never married, did they? That's pretty creepy if he meant Soon-Yi.

And passing the lie detector test is pretty much irrelevant, anyway, since he'd likely only fail it if he felt he'd done something wrong—which many abusers don't.