enough

I recently caught up with someone who I know cares for me, very much.

The first thing she said to me, loudly, was this: Alex! You’re too thin!

Before I had kids, this kind of comment would have made me angry for its intrusiveness, for its double standard [would you exclaim so loudly about someone who you thought was overweight?], for its judgement.

But now I have kids. And the comment was made in front of my two.and.a.bit year old daughter, who is deliciously unaware of body and of societal expectations and pressures, who sees her mama as a shining example of How To Be.

I wanted to scream: ENOUGH!!! Enough with the self-hate and the other-loathing and the judgement and the poison and the burden. Enough with the assessment and the comments. Enough!

But I didn’t. I just ignored it, turned to my daughter, gave her a huge hug and told her I loved her. So much.

[I just don’t get it: haven’t we had enough?]

Tags: body, courage, happiness, values