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Caroline Mellor's avatar

Thanks for these poignant reflections, and a beautiful tribute to Virginia Guiffre.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

Thank you for reading ❤️

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Jan.Morrison's avatar

I also felt gutted when I found out Virginia Guiffre had died of her own hand. Sometimes the world is too much with us and we need to withdraw and sometimes we need to be invited back into it by our friends who love us. I'm sorry that it remained too much for Virginia but I surely get it.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

Yes, agree 💜

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Linnea's avatar

Thank you for this. It hit me hard as well, particularly now that even her family is questioning whether it was actually suicide or...something else. This spring we visited St. Thomas, which is one island over from where Virginia and so many other young women were victimized. NO ONE there talks about it. Tourist boats anchor off that island's beaches so people can snorkel. The silence and capitalist sanewashing were repulsive. So it's deeply meaningful that you wrote about Virginia. We need to keep talking about it.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

Agree. I’ve been so grateful for the thoughtful pieces I’ve read about her this week. 💜

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Elizabeth's avatar

I have a deep loathing for Ben Pentreath and his goddamned perfect Scottish lands and house. Jealous doesn’t begin to cover it.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

Ben is absolutely the problem.

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Elizabeth's avatar

Thank you. And his ridiculously hot boyfriend.

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Nancy's avatar

I read that Tulips are a symbol of perfect and deep love.🖤

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Eliza Anderson's avatar

She was such a hero. We owe her so much. Thank you for acknowledging her in this way

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

She spoke truth to power and that’s incredibly hard to do. 💜

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Eliza Anderson's avatar

Exactly. Especially when you’ve already been crushed by this power

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Robin Denning's avatar

thanks for such a lovely tribute to Virginia. I felt the sting, too, when I heard she had passed. She showed us all how to stand tall.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

She did. Thank you for reading 💜

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Margaret Morgan's avatar

Beautiful piece, Jennifer. Thank you.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

💜

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Franca Pilotta's avatar

Love this piece. Like many of your readers and you I was saddened by the news of Virginia Giuffre’s death. I hope the people who did that to her feel her every day of their miserable lives.

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M.Storm's avatar

❣️

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Grace Drigo's avatar

Jennifer, I love how you normalize having (what can be considered by some people) as outrageous dreams or ideas. It’s ok to have mood swings, to feel isolated sometimes or to want to live in another country. Anything is possible. Your friends are lucky to have you. Rest in peace dear Virginia Giuffre. 🙏🤍

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

💜

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Karen Davis's avatar

As always I know exactly all those same feelings. Sometimes I want total isolation but then ultimately I need people.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

It’s the push pull.

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Linnea's avatar

PS--if you need a moment of light and joy, and have not already seen it, check out Billy & Molly. Set in the Outer Hebrides (isolation! crazy storms! better life!). All about deep love and connecting to nature. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31189897/

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Jessica Joseph's avatar

“The impulse to move away — it's strong with me.” This, for sure. I’m in the middle of life trying to figure out what it means. Is it actually moving away? Is it moving towards something I can’t quite name? Sincerely, Trying to sit still

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Mark Diacono's avatar

And that's a massive knuckleutap to the 'I could run away to X and be alone' urge. I used to get it really strongly though somewhat diluted now by experience telling me that unfortunately I take myself with me

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Mark Diacono's avatar

All that aloneness but at the same time perhaps feeling so many eyes on her - what a world we have made.

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Jennifer Barnett's avatar

Yes, imagine all that scrutiny and feeling so alone. Awful. 😞

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