Wow, Jessica...as always, as ever, I can very much relate to this...it's taken me almost a lifetime to work this out: nothing is ever REALLY free. We like to think it is, of course, but we find out, oh, do we find out, ever so slowly, ever so painfully, ever so much.

Of course, quite often, we don't actually realize what's happening but damn it, when we do???

It's absolutely decimating...

THANK YOU for writing this.

You've echoed perfectly my sentiments.

All the contradictions and all the frustrations, too.