You should play that piano. Today.

Words of a gifted therapist and writer are only a few talents of yours. I have been blessed to hear the music you've created and pray that you allow those around you to hear it. I hope that piano isn't beautiful decoration.
You have an amazing voice in so many ways...sing loud Michael!

I recently had a brief but beautiful encounter with a man who I met on line. As sometimes happens with internet romance, our first meeting did not bring the results for which we both had hoped. A disappointment, to be sure, but in his final email to me he was honest in telling me that a certain physical feature I have turned him off (in fairness to him, I did solicit that feedback).

I am a confident, attractive, self assured, emotionally stable woman, but upon reading his words, I allowed myself to be carried back to a dark place from my childhood & youth, a place I occupied until at age 37 a wonderful therapist helped me to redefine my difficult past and negative self perception. For a couple days, however, I allowed myself to wallow in that horrible place -- someone whose opinion I placed a very high value had, with just a few words, validated a profoundly negative self perception that was once my reality.

The experience was a gift. First, I was reminded of the truth of my situation. I've been a size 6 for 20 years, but I've not been following my stringent diet & exercise routine for the past several weeks, and so I have fallen out of shape. This beautiful man, with one sentence, helped me to get that important part of my life back on track. Second, I was reminded that remaining positive and maintaining the ability to love myself 'just as I am' can not be placed on auto-pilot. I am vulnerable and must always be careful not to, as you wrote in this post, "fall into the trap of looking out, instead of looking in."

I am grateful that I read this post before I received that final email, and that I thought to revisit it afterwards. Thank you.