They're more articles representing something the author has noticed about NYC area people making $200k to $2 million per year. That's a pretty narrow group, and the articles are almost always anecdotal, not fully researched. In other words, "I interviewed my friends, and this is what I found out." Fluff.

That said, it would make sense if more than a few marriages based on party A making lots of money and party B looking good fall apart when party A ceases to fulfill his end of the bargain. Just as it's not a surprise when the marriages fall apart when party B ceases to fulfill hers (by no longer looking quite so good). It's not a good thing either way, but it's no surprise.

In general, I think parents should not pay for plastic surgery. However, I think it's okay if the child's "defect" is such that (1) a normal person (i.e., a person not suffering from body dysmorphia) would behave differently if he or she had the same defect as the child, or (2) a normal person (i.e, someone who was not extremely shallow) would treat the child differently because of it.

An example of (1) would be a girl who develops one a-cup breast and one c-cup breast. That girl may (reasonably) avoid ever going to the beach, ever going to pool parties, ever entering into a relationship where someone would find out her secret. I think, as a parent, I would pay for surgery, so she could have two matching breasts, and not have to be limited in the choices she makes. I would NOT pay for breast implants for a girl with two a-cup boobs.

An example of (2) would be someone with a feature or features that were truly out of proportion, such that the person was made ugly by that feature. An example might be a guy with a severely receded chin. I'm also thinking of woman I know - She's incredibly smart and well-educated. She eats like a bird, works out all the time and has a fantastic body, and has a good sense of style. She'd really like to be in a relationship, but the only boyfriends she ever has treat her like crap, and the relationships never last long. The problem? Every guy I know finds her to be tremendously ugly. She has an upturned nose with wide, open nostrils. It ruins what would otherwise be a perfectly pleasant face. She's very nice, and if she weren't ugly - just normal - she'd have a good shot at a decent relationship, just like the rest of us. A good nose job would make A WORLD of difference. If she were sixteen, and she were my kid, and she asked me to pay for a nose job, I'd do it in a flash, because I'd know people would treat her differently, for the better. I would NOT pay for a nose job just because my daughter thought her nose was big (even if it was a bit large). I suppose it's a slippery slope, but I'd rather navigate the slope than draw a bright line against surgery.

I just realized the post's author did point out there would be cases where surgery wouldn't be premature.

I do feel like I have been running across more upper-class, educated women having babies in their mid twenties. And those women? Insufferable. "Well, I don't have to worry about a career, because Spencer is doing so well at the firm, and now I weigh even less than I did before I had the baby, and all of the other moms in the playgroup are just so old and lacking in energy! I'm so glad I'm not them." Ugh.

That sucks. A lot of the people who write to Cary make mountains out of molehills. You've got so many molehills they've turned into a mountain. I'm sorry you have to deal with so much.

Some people are energized by being with others, some people are stressed out by it. Sounds like you're the latter. Do you have the funds to take a vacation alone someplace warm and sunny, to think, cry and let yourself recover? You could stay someplace simple, away from the tourist destinations, which would be cheaper. Read some nice, escapist books. Maybe you don't need to find immediate meaning through religion or relationships with others, maybe you just need some time, and to treat yourself well.