Issue #136 | September 18, 2026 | Previous issues​

Hey Reader,

I’ve always wanted to be beautiful.

There. I said it.

Not supermodel gorgeous. Just prettier.

Before you rush in to reassure me with things like: Beauty is only skin deep. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Or we’re all beautiful in our own special way.

Please don't make me puke.

Obviously, physical beauty isn’t everything.

Beautiful women have problems, disappointments, heartbreaks, and insecurities of their own.

But none of those things change the fact that I’ve always wished I were a little prettier.

I’ve spent weeks shopping for dresses for three upcoming weddings.

Guys, you have it so easy!

All you need is a suit and good shoes. Your biggest decision may be the color.

For us ladies, it's way more complicated.

Anyway, I've tried on a lot of dresses, been in a ton of fitting rooms, and had way too many opportunities to stare at myself in a mirror.

While I genuinely enjoy beautiful clothes, there’s always that little hope that I’ll find something that makes me look, you know, good.

Just for once I'd like to be one of the women in the room turning heads.

Oh well.

Here’s the thing.

Inner beauty is critical, but we don't have to pretend physical beauty doesn’t matter.

It does.

Attractive people often receive attention and advantages that others don’t.

If you don't believe me, I'll email you a list of how, when, and where I've seen it with my own eyes. (I've been fortunate enough to have many beautiful women as friends.)

Some women seem to possess the kind of beauty that the rest of us spend an awful lot of time, money, and effort trying to achieve.

But there’s something rather interesting about beauty.

It’s in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

I look at women I consider prettier than myself and wish I had a little of what they have. Meanwhile, there may very well be women looking at me and thinking the same thing.

And the women I consider beautiful?

They may be looking at someone else.

Good grief. Is anybody satisfied? LOL.

It never ends, which means we might spend our entire lives chasing an ideal that keeps moving depending on whose eyes we’re looking through.

Including our own.

So where does that leave us?

The last thing I'll ever suggest is that we stand in front of a mirror and convince ourselves we’re gorgeous if that’s not what we genuinely believe.

But I don't think we need to abandon makeup, pretty dresses, or the pleasure of being feminine.

I don’t intend to.

I wish I were prettier.

That’s a valid feeling.

I don’t need to deny it, apologize for it, or cover it up with a motivational poster about inner beauty.

But I also don’t need to make my happiness contingent on looking different.

Because while being beautiful might be lovely, it is NOT a prerequisite for having a beautiful, fun, and joyful life.

I can laugh, learn, dance, create, connect with others, and experience all kinds of wonderful things without possessing the face I might have asked a plastic surgeon to give me if I could afford it.

And maybe that’s where acceptance comes in.

I may never be as beautiful as I wish I were. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wishing I were someone else.

How about you?

Have you ever wished you were a little prettier? And if so, have you found a way to make peace with that wish?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

With love,

Anna

P.S. After weeks of dress shopping, I have officially concluded that fitting-room mirrors should come with a warning label. And possibly a therapist. 🤣

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