6:20am comes early when you haven’t caught up on sleep. But we were ready to go this morning and support our Catholic School at the Steps 4 Students 5K Run/Walk benefitting all Catholic Schools in the Houston area.
St. Martha’s Catholic School had over 400 registered and many found their way downtown to run or walk with us this morning. We even had a few place in their age division.
Paula Snyder (the school’s PE Teacher) and I walked (and talked 😉 ) the 3 miles. I won’t let you in on how long it took us to get 3 miles in but we had a good time and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I have to run 6 miles tomorrow anyway so I’m excused.
The rest of the day has been getting a little work done on the Just Show Up 365 Day Devotional I’m putting together and managing to make my way to the corner nail spot for a pedicure. Which might have ended up as a mistake…but thankfully I have matured and grown in my responses to the question that was given to me by the young woman who worked on my feet:
“You pregnant?” she asked and reached out and touched the fat of my stomach that she assumed was a pregnant belly.
Yep. Now where did my esteem go? Oh yeah, into the soapy pedicure bowl with the rest of my once restful and gorgeous day.
🙂 Just kidding.
Without pause I answered, “Oh no. I’m not pregnant.”
But she continued (probably overcompensating out of nerves…) “Do you have kids?”
“Yes, I have two boys,” I responded.
“Oh, how old?”
“14 and almost 12,” I said and smiled.
Her eyes got wide (yes, yes) “OH, wow,” she says. And I can see she wants to say something and manages to stop herself. “No girl? You don’t want a girl?”
Not sure I get to choose…I thought but said out loud, “I would have loved a girl but we can’t have any more children.”
“Why not?” she asks with no hesitation. At this point I’m certain of this disconnect between us either personally or culturally.
“I had a hysterectomy 9 years ago,” I said. “We considered adoption but at the time my husband was diagnosed with MS so it was put off.”
“Oh,” she said and then she said something in her native language to another woman in the shop.
That was the end of the small talk. I smiled through it all. I wasn’t rude. I didn’t snap or get defensive. I answered honestly.
In fact I felt good about the entire exchange. Why? Because I’ve had the same exchange before a few years back. I suppose my body physique lends to people assuming I could be pregnant and I would lie if I didn’t admit that it bothers me but I also know I’ve made the same assumption for others so who am I to get upset? 😉 I was proud of the fact that this time in the exchange it didn’t cause my cheeks to burn with embarrassment or heart to pound with frustration.
It was an innocent exchange that held no power over my self-esteem. That’s huge for me. 🙂
Now excuse me while I go do 100 sit ups…. JUST KIDDING! 😉
Blessings
Shannon