Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Shrinkage

"Are you stylish?" asks my daughter the other day. She loves the word, even though she's shy about actually dressing up.

I was never very stylish, although I used to try. Then I got pregnant and had two kids. My body expanded, then contracted, expanded, contracted. In different ways. It's also hard to feel stylish when your clothes are often splattered with baby food, body fluids, or kids' paints. When my daughter turned three, I was hungry to change my look. I started wearing skirts, every so often. I bought some shiny ankle-length boots and I wore them two or three times. Then I had the stroke.

"I wish I could be stylish," I grumble. "It's hard to be stylish when I have to wear these stupid Velcro sneakers and my brace every day because of the stroke."

"Don't feel bad, Mommy," says my daughter, with a sympathetic pout. "It's not your fault that your brain shrank."

8 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness...that is perfect! Only kids can offer such wonderful responses. :-)

    I can relate to your inability to feel stylish after all you have been through. I often tell my husband I never wanted high heel boots that go up passed my knees until I was stuck wearing tennis shoes. Now I want those boots so badly!!

    In reality, I know if I were able to put those boots on today I would rush to get my favorite old pair of sneakers back onto my feet.

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  2. Children are a blessing because they can see through to the heart of a situation.

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  3. I remember, even as a kid, always thinking other people were better dressed than me. I think it's a syndrome--quintessentially "female," if I can say so--regardless of whether one is wearing Velcro sneakers or knee-length boots. But out of curiosity, I just googled "Velcro sneakers" and Puma has some that are pretty...well, stylish.

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    1. I'll check it out. They can be pricey, especially if you need to buy 2 pairs, one pair that's a half-size bigger for the brace. Sigh.

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  4. A friend's daughter, who's now 30-something, dressed herself one day when she was 3 or so. She flounced down the stairs to get mom's approval. Mom said "Honey, you look so cute!" The deeply affronted daughter replied, "I'm not cute -- I'm fashionable!" I never left fashion behind, because I never took it up. Way overrated. Keep the sneakers and wear them proudly. Love, Jaylyn

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  5. Your daughter is a doll.

    I don't 'dress up' hardly ever anymore but when I go shopping, I still look at the shoes that are flat with a buckle closure that's high enough on the foot so that if I do want to wear a dress I feel that I have the option.

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  6. I thought this was an article about the Seinfeld episode in which Constanza was complaining about shrinkage after going swimming.
    Never mind.....

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