So, both of my daughters are in dance class. There is a gap of 2 hours between their classes, during which we normally all go swimming at the gym where their dance classes are. Today, I shook up the normal schedule and decided to go to McDonalds for an hour. It has been a very long time since I splurged, we were already in town, and it was a fun and easy way to kill time between classes. That being said, I know that I am a fat lady sitting at McDonalds. Not the prettiest picture. I get that. If I could morph into the person that I am trying to become, I would be tempted to do it, but I am not sure that I would actually do it. If I magically became slender, physically strong, and healthy, I would not know what maintenance was necessary to keep the body - so I do not think I would do it.
But, today. Today it would have been so nice to already have that slender body. It would have made it less easy for a total stranger to vent her vitriol on me. She would have had to look so much harder for something to pick on me for.
Setup: My kids are playing in the play area, and another mother comes over, telling her child to put her socks on, saying that the floor is "disgusting" and that "kids shouldn't be barefoot on this muck". Then she pointed to my child, my amazingly beautiful little girl, and said "I don't want you to get dirty like that." I stood up and asked her not to call my child dirty, even though she meant only in the physical sense.
She turned on me. "How dare you tell me what I can or cannot say to my own child! You are probably just here wasting the money you saved because my money pays for the foodstamps to feed your fat ass."
I thank God that my children totally missed out on the exchange and were busily playing out of earshot, otherwise, I do not think I could have remained calm, and my husband would be bailing me out of jail for assault. In total shock, I went and sat my "fat ass" down. I must have sat there for about 10 minutes - not seeing anything or hearing anything really - before one of my kids came over to take a sip of her drink, smiled at me, and ran off to play some more. Suddenly, the tilt of my axis that had occurred righted itself. I looked at my children, though about my life, and realized that everything else was minuscule in comparison. I quietly said "I forgive you." It was like a weight had been lifted, pardon the pun, from me. I watched my girls climb and laugh and have a generally good time in the play area. I laughed and waved and generally moved on emotionally.
Then, from the other side of the play area, I began to hear the voice of the woman that thinks I receive food stamps. I listened to this person proceed to berate her children and her husband for everything from the fact that she could hear them chew their food to the fact that they did not use their napkin quickly enough when she told them they had ketchup on their face. I began to truly pity her. She is miserable, and I am not sure that she knows the depth to which she is unhappy. That is sad. I sent up a quick prayer of thanks to God that I am so blessed. I have an amazing husband who loves me and literally supports me and the rest of our family by going to work every day while I stay home and take care of things. I live a fairly cush life which I love with my husband and children, whom I am absolutely crazy about.
So, female from McDonalds - wherever you are - "I forgive you. I hope that whatever is eating at you dissipates and you become a happy and healthy person. I wish happiness upon you."
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