What Would Jane Do?

Jane Austen knew how to create a good sassaholic--those women who both buck and embrace the social codes of their time. Emma declares herself a matchmaker and goes about butting into everyone's business in an effort to create couplehood. She meddles--but always in a way that has kindness as the driving intention. And Elizabeth, I mean how can you not love Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice? When her sister is ill, she treks through the countryside to come to her rescue and shows up splattered with mud (that's the sassaholic in her) yet still has time to accept some good woo from Mr. Darcy (that's a chickie who understands that social codes exist for a reason).

At the end of the day, while they may be meddlesome or forward or brutally honest, they are also always ladylike. And when I am having one of those days when I'm finding it difficult to swallow what I really want to say, I take a deep breath and say to myself:

"What would Jane do?"

It's a question that serves well in coming up with a response that has a foot firmly planted in kindness (because my motto, like all doctors, is "first, do no harm.") while still kicking up that other foot in protest at all the insensitivities and thoughtlessness of this world.

So what can you expect from me when you ask for advice? An answer that first and foremost is well-intentioned and grounded in kindness. A solution that keeps in mind social codes while still helping you to buck the system with ladylike sensibilities. Social codes are there as guides--not boundaries. You can say "no" and you will say "no" and there is nothing unladylike about the word. Lastly, you will receive ideas that will help you find your own inner sass and remember that you have the potential to kick more ass than a ninja. Because you rock. In a nutshell.

After all I may sometimes come off as a bit in-your-face, telling strangers about my childrens' conception when they ask me if my twins are natural, but I also will always be kind. And I'll stop before I explain the inner workings of my hoohaahooterus. Because, come on, I'm a freakin' lady.

So welcome--grab yourself a cup of tea and a comfortable chair, yank off your white gloves and let's get down to business.