More Life Lessons or "Why didn't my mother tell me this stuff?"

Life Lessons by Amy Bloom, published in Real Simple.

Fashion Fades: Style is Eternal. Not only do you not have to wear torn jeans, a barely-there tank top, and a fedora, but you probably shouldn't. The point of fashion is to indulge briefly in something fun. The point of style is to have one - whether that's a sheath and spike heels or slouchy jeans and your husband's T-shirt - and it should last you a lifetime. All you have to do is think you deserve to look and feel your best and spend some time figuring out how to do it.  Don't know? Find a woman whose style you admire and ask for a little advice.

You Can't Fake Love. Staying in a love relationship when love is not what you feel isn't likely to end well. If you know that what you crave is security/disposable income/child care and not the person next to you in bed, do the right thing. It's true that one can learn to love someone over time and often through difficult circumstances. But unless the two of you agree to wait until you're old and all the storms have passed, in the hope that love will kick in, it's better to bail sooner rather than later.