Obviously we're on the same wavelength here because that's why I bolded those lines. Those were the observations that really jumped out at me, too. I think we've all learned that a lot of what DR is all about is growth, but growth in such a way that we're not saying, "Screw you" to our WAS's, but we're saying "I'm going to be the best me I can be, and if you (WAS) happen to notice and remember the person you fell in love with, then Yay!"
