Curl

Do you ever have something in your present jog a memory of the past?  Sometimes the memory is happy, sometimes it's sad, AND SOMETIMES it makes your insides curl with embarassment that you would do anything to go back and change it.

Today I had one of THOSE memories.  I was brushing my teeth and the kids were playing around me.  Jack walked up to Ellie, and using his hand to swipe the top of his head, said, "Who's taller Ellie?"

In an instant I was taken back to our wedding reception held at my parents house a few months after we were married.  Most of the well wishers had left and then some very unexpected guests knocked on the door.  It was my YW's president from years before when my family had lived in New Jersey.  She and her handsome husband and wonderful 4 children, who now live in Seattle, came bubbling in.  It was so fun to see them.  I had admired her so much as a young woman and I remember her being pregnant* with one of those kids while in YW's with me.

I was so grateful for their efforts to come and visit me on such an important day after all those years.  We had fun talking and catching up.  The time went too quickly.  As we stood in my parents kitchen talking, some of their children (now teenagers) were in the family room.  What was about to come out of my mouth was SO obvious to any observer and the minute it slipped from my lips I knew I had just dug myself a huge hole.  Their oldest son was at least 18 and their oldest daughter was most likely 16 but due to their height differences you would have thought the opposite.  Their daughter was significantly taller then their son and I seemed to have a lapse of judgement - most likely a moment of thoughts to be kept in the brain coming out my mouth,  as I said, "Wow, she is so much taller than he is."  No one knew quite what to say after my statement.  I was mortified but didn't know really what to do to undo my slip.

It seemed I ruined the mood.  I remember they left shortly after that and I was so sad that I had most likely contributed to their quick retreat.  I hope they don't remember that day like I do.  Perhaps a visit to them this summer will ease my fears.  I do hope they let me in.


*The only reason I remember she was pregnant while in YW's was the amazing thing she did with her stomach one day.  She is an extremely thin person who loves to workout and is a health nut.  Her stomach muscles, if ever exposed, I'm sure have the #6 written on them.  Anyway, one day she said, "Do you want to see what I can do with my stomach (she was at least 6 months pregant)?"  "Sure", we all exclaimed.  Then, like something out of and amazing circus trick act, she sucked that stomach and all of that baby right in, like she wasn't pregnant at all.  I had never seen anything like it before nor since.