Dear Soupe du jour,

I think those are really good suggestions.

I recently suffered a hiatal hernia and now I can only eat small meals. I am supposed to eat 6-8 small meals throughout the day. Ironically it has helped me with my weight problem. I wouldn't recommend a hiatal hernia though. It is really awful. I plan on trying some of your suggestions.

My self-esteem is tied to the work I do helping people in trouble. It gives my life meaning and direction and also seems to provide me a very solid and sturdy sense of self-worth. Because of this, I guess, a lot of things can be going wrong in my life and they don't really touch my self-esteem at any deep level. A lot of people in the helping field had pretty messy and often troubling lives but they are not remembered for that. They are remembered for their kind hearts.

I hope lots of people see your post and respond to it. I am grateful that you posted it!

Sincerely yours, Yao Wen