A Good Reminder: On Body Image

Something I found on a blog, worthy of remembering/trying to work into my head. The author of the blog quotes it from somewhere (or misquotes it, as it claims), I don't know where, so I continue the pattern:

"And I misquote, to bring to more to home:

My mother's gap-toothed smile is endearing. My small mouth in endearing. My friend's large nose with the small bump makes her look soulful, exotic. Beauty marks and moles are interesting. Large hips can be sexy. A rounded belly. Dark brown eyes. Short legs. A loud sense of humor. A laugh that comes from somewhere deep inside. The ability to cry.

Our so-called shortcomings, physical and emotional, mental and spiritual, make us who we are, and make us memorable. "

Chol HaMoed

Apparently, I was the Only person at shul this morning who wears tfillin on chol hamoed. It felt awkward- I kept thinking that I was doing something wrong, even though I knew I wasn't. A peer (a year ahead of me) shared his interesting minhag- he wears tfillin on chol hamoed, but only if he's davening alone, as additional something- I don't quite remember why.

Also, I was a bit stuck on my Talmud prep for tomorrow, and so H and I spent some time on it during tonight's skype conversation, and he did it from hearing me read, because his internet browser (wrong word- you know, explorer, or mozilla or what-not) wouldn't open. And not only did we manage to learn it, but it was fun. (And I just compared to the first time we learned gemara together, and I was so nervous that I could barely read, because I was worried he'd think I was incompetent. Versus now- I read, and from that, we worked out the sugya, and I read just fine, and understandably, and my only parsing error was one he caught out and clarified, no problem.)

And now- it's well past my bedtime. Sleep already, self- there's lots of life going on tomorrow.