Several years ago, my daughter, who was way too young to appreciate diplomacy, or sensitivity, or even, kindness to her tired mother, was watching me dress in my bedroom and out of the blue in her sweet little sing-song guile-less voice stated, “Mommy, you look better with your clothes on.”

There was no point in arguing, she had me on that one.  So I said,

“Yeah, I know, I’m squishy.”

and she replied, “I like you that way. Please don’t get skinny.”

In the same year, my son came off the bus, visibly upset.  When I asked him why, he told me a bigger boy on the bus had called him a ‘pencil.’ And then he added indignantly, “Mom, that’s not all!  He called you fat.”

Again, there was no point in arguing.  So I said, “I am fat.  So what?”

It took the wind right out of his sails.  Stopped him…