Last summer, I was at a reception in Washington, D.C., when a woman in her early 40s leaned in to whisper with lips so swollen with collagen they looked ready to burst.

It was one of those moments when my immediate response was a silent "Oh, honey. No."

Broke my heart. The longer she and I chatted the more I couldn't help but think that I liked her more than she did.

She was beautiful and smart and full of insights a person gains only by taking chances in life. ...

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