I’m wearing a dress today.  And not just any dress.  A dress that makes me look and feel like a million bucks.  Cut low enough to show off, but not low enough to be labeled a tramp.  Paired with knee high boots… I feel a bit like a girlie badass.  It feels AWESOME.

Soldiers put on war paint and armor before going into battle.  Women do it too.  We’ll primp and prep and make ourselves look extra good when we know we’re going to deal with stress or a potentially uncomfortable situation.  The makeup we put on is another version of a soldier’s war paint.  A mask, to hide our weaknesses, or if not to hide them, at least to distract from them.  Growing up, my grandmother always told me to smile.  Even when you don’t feel like it.  Fake it, until you make it.

The last couple of weeks have been challenging for me.  Lots of pressures with work and family.  Had a promising date last week, but as of yesterday, we are both squarely and firmly in the friend zone.  And, quite frankly, I wish him the very best of luck and happiness – i’m fine with being in the friend zone.  Really and truly.  🙂 But, it did have me thinking.  About everything.  About all that I’ve been through this year.  I think for a while, I managed to get a little pessimistic about my love life.  But instead, maybe just maybe all the “war paint” and posturing I’ve done this year has done something else.  Maybe it’s helped me realize that the potential to love and be loved by someone else IS still out there.  Yea, I haven’t met him yet, but he’s out there.  And there’s still a damn good shot that eventually, I’ll run into him.  Let’s just hope that on that day, I’m feeling as lovely as I do today.

Happy Tuesday everyone!