Dear Ms. Fey,

You are awesome. Maybe having someone snap a picture of you in your bathing suit is your worst nightmare–mine is closer to bathing suit shopping followed by a bikini wax–but you’ve actually done all of us ladies a world of good. Moreover, you look pretty damned smashing in that bathing suit, if I do say so myself.

Seriously, I don’t see cellulite. I don’t see varicose veins. I don’t see ANY flaws–and I wouldn’t lie to you because I’m a woman and am thus trained to immediately look for flaws in anyone else who has the misfortune of being saddled with ovaries. No, I see a woman with a pony tail who has a smile on her face and her hand on her child. Really, that’s how we all ought to be: ready to have fun with our kids without worrying about how we look in our bathing suits. We both know, however, that there are plenty of women out there who won’t don a bathing suit and play with their kids because they’re afraid of flaws, either real or imagined.

I say kudos to you. I’ve always been a huge fan of yours because you write with a fearless humor. Now I tip my hat to you for getting out there and being, well, you. Thanks for showing us how it’s done. We’re not all twenty with willowy bodies begging for bikinis, and that’s okay. We’re still beautiful, and you are, too.

Only the Best,

Sally