When that song first came out, I bristled because I interpreted it, at the tender age of 16, as a man telling me I had to stay the same in order for him to love me.
My old friend. Lots to unpack in your post but maybe this bit of kismet will make you smile. Like you, I have bittersweet memories of the JTWYA from our occasionally shared & misspent youth. I'm sailing (right behind, like a bridge...?) solo on a tony cruise ship, this evening enroute to Dubrovnik. On my way to dinner I passed thru one of the (not surprisingly, tony) lounges and what song should the band have been performing right then but Just the Way You Are. Another stolen moment.
Yes! You do have to love yourself. It is a lesson I am trying to teach my teenage daughter, but I think you need experience to really appreciate that you need to believe in yourself first. Every move is difficult but I am so glad you also see an exciting future. Good Luck.
Of course I like I love your evolution from where you come from to where you are going now.
Thank you, Marilyn. It feels like I am moving towards and into peace. And that means more creative output. Oh, sweet peace and creative output.
Good for you for the move! Change is so stressful, but ultimately good (I hope - I say this while still trying to adjust to my own new life).
Thank you, Wendy. Ahhhh....adjustment to a new way of life...truly it was easier when my mom and The Army moved us. All I had to do, was go.
You have had a lot of major changes and losses in your life in a short period of time, Mary. Yes, it IS your time. Claim it. Own it. It’s yours! 💙
My old friend. Lots to unpack in your post but maybe this bit of kismet will make you smile. Like you, I have bittersweet memories of the JTWYA from our occasionally shared & misspent youth. I'm sailing (right behind, like a bridge...?) solo on a tony cruise ship, this evening enroute to Dubrovnik. On my way to dinner I passed thru one of the (not surprisingly, tony) lounges and what song should the band have been performing right then but Just the Way You Are. Another stolen moment.
Yes! You do have to love yourself. It is a lesson I am trying to teach my teenage daughter, but I think you need experience to really appreciate that you need to believe in yourself first. Every move is difficult but I am so glad you also see an exciting future. Good Luck.