God I love realness.
I love those deep, satisfying conversations with true friends, when pretenses are left at the door and you’re just being You…
witanddelight
I love it when I’m with someone who is refreshingly honest about who she is, someone who isn’t interested in putting on clever airs or being fabulously happy all the time…
just for appearances.
I find it admirable when I see a women take a risk and put herself out there, because risks involve discomfort and they’re hard. Only at my age I prefer plucky and bold to soft and timid.
I’m drawn to women who aren’t afraid to show their real face to the world and who share tender pieces of their story so others might ponder their own lives,
and be better for it.
This past week I was struck by a few of these women and I thought I’d share some links here in the spirit of passing-realness-forward.
I don’t know much about Grace Coddington, the British creative director of Vogue, but when I saw her on MSNBC’s Morning Joe I was intrigued. Any seventy-one year old fashion icon who warns women not to hide behind make-up, and says things like, “Beauty is always the person,” and “I like the imperfections of people,” is a woman I immediately like. I might just pick up her memoir.
And in the blogosphere I found something shimmering and real in each of these posts.
I hope you find something here to the inspire you. You deserve it.
moving on (from baby dreams)
a tender disclosure about depression
facing your insecurities (entertaining in your home)
tiny beautiful moments (loss and gratitude)
a child of divorce explores “the fear” of marriage
I’d love to hear what you think.
xoxo
Leslie
I”m linking up here:
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/2013/01/welcome-to-108th-masterpiece-monday.html
What a great post!!!
ReplyDeleteGod - she's so NATURALLY beautiful ( Meryl Streep )
XOX
Thank you so much for the link and mention. I am really touched that you liked my post.
ReplyDeleteXxx
Love the way your blog posts resonate with me. "The Kickass Woman's Manifesto for Sparklicious Living" is my favorite, especially the last line, "I thought I was alone, but now I realize that I was always with me." Love LOVE that! And with all the plastic surgery, makeup, etc... readily available (not that I judge or would never go there) surface beauty just isn't as interesting as my younger self thought it was. Thank you so much for this post, Leslie. You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely believe in being "real". I love it when people share the real part of their lives, the messy parts of their home and yes, the no make-up part. Not every day is full of sunshine although we can certainly pretend. Not every dish comes out looking like Martha's. Not every home is spic and span 24/7.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being real and sharing! And yes, Meryl Streep is awesome.
xo
Pat
I think that being real is the only way to go! I have to be me - I don't know hwo to be anybody else! So many blogs lead us to believe that our lives are "less than" less than perfect, less than desireable, less than worthy, etc. They showcase perfect homes, perfect children, perfect husbands, jobs, lives, home decor, dinner parties, all of that. I love all those things but my life is far from perfect! While I don't share it that often because I don't like to feel as though I'm burdening others with my junk, I do try to keep it real. I would rather write about something that might lift up another than drag them down. Here I go rambling again! LOL! Just my way of letting you know that I agree with and appreciate your post! Hugs, Leena
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for including a link to my post in this touching one! Your writing is amazing, and I enjoy visiting here to see things from your perspective. Thanks for being real and honest. :)
ReplyDeleteI find it much easier being me around my oldest friends ~ the ones that love me warts and all ~ they have seen me gain and lose weight ~ and together we have had joys and tears. I always get excited to get together with these girls ~ they make my heart sing.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes and yes! And also yes! I think this search for "realness" also motivated our move to a smaller town. I still love LA, so not to join the chorus of LA bashers, but I think that overall cities tend to put more pressure on people to be perfect, and in smaller towns it's easy to shrug that stuff off and stay truer to yourself, without pretense. Or maybe that's a vast oversimplification.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with girls and young women "playing dress-up" as the perfect creatures they long to be, but I just wish that longing to be perfect wasn't so destructive and damaging... and I wish more women would figure out what's truly important a lot sooner in their lives.
Keep fighting the good fight!
xoxo,
tanja
Meryl Streep is so beautiful, she is astonishing! As I'm sure you are too. I like this phase of fading, of not caring, of high heeled boots and cashmere jumpers. Sometimes I wish I were more normal, and knew how to fit in. I'm way too solitary and really choose the people I like to stride with. Too much living in my head for this not-young writer! Xcat
ReplyDeleteLove that post! Such great images! Thanks for stopping by our blog so we could find you! New followers!~Danielle Marie & Katrina at Provocative Manners
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