When I first saw him, I thought I was hallucinating. I looked up and saw a twinkling bear dancing through the audience at the top of the Superdome. I blinked my eyes a few times, and decided, real or not, this bear was my kindred
The last time I saw her in Hollywood at 78 years old, she belly danced, told inspirational stories, bantered with the audience, and sang her many, many hit songs. She was putting her handprints into a mold and the man told her she could write a quote if she wanted. She stuck one finger into the concrete and wrote, “To Thine Own Self Be True.” I have kept a framed photo of her as a young saucy singer next to my bed for three decades. Here’s to the broken-hearted who stand back up and run right back into the ring!
I don’t want to hear about the gifts of pain and darkness, but it recently dawned on me that maybe the point of it all, and I’m not saying there is one, but if there was, perhaps it’s about finding our inner light no matter what life throws at us, a light so strong and bright that nothing can snuff it out. Maybe it doesn’t matter how brutal and agonizing the world can be. Maybe it’s about cultivating kindness in the face of cruelty; humility in the face of egotistical tyrants; compassion in world that tells you that only the strongest survive.
This is about a woman who put on her lipstick and continued working on her art, even while going through her heartbreak. This is about a woman who made bold decisions in her life to reinvent herself over and over.
So every time you feel alone and heartbroken, imagine the Grand Poobah laughing and swimming in her jewels. Call up your own inner Elizabeth Taylor, a saucy hilarious gorgeous and dashing divorcee who always kept and open heart and never gave up on love. Put on your jewels and go for a swim. And don’t forget to raise your glass to this week’s Dashing Divorcee. Cheers!!
Reaching out your hand full of sand and building a magnificent glittering castle, with room for everyone you have ever loved. You know it will soon be washed into the sea. Build it anyway. Revel in the gorgeous momentary beauty, and remember, one of the things that makes it all so beautiful is that fact that it won’t last. Nothing will. I have seen the darkness, been on my knees with grief, and I still choose love.
One warm summer night in Monte Carlo while backpacking in 1990, Zar, Tanya, and I decided to splurge on a banana split, while eating on a cliff overlooking the sea. As backpackers, we never ordered dessert, because we had to save every penny. But tonight,
Dashing Divorcees are those fabulous women who had their hearts broken and then stood up in their optimal power and made some magic for our world! This is the gift of our journey through painful experiences–when we get to the other side, we can hold
Bravo the women who stand back up after having their hearts broken! Bravo to the women who make their own magic! Bravo to Agatha Christie for filling the world with her stories! Viva la Dashing Divorcees!
Divorce was a door I never dreamed would be put in front of me, and when it appeared out of nowhere, I was pushed through, kicking and screaming, my eyes squeezed shut, my hands over my ears. I never wanted any of this. I thought
