Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Why not wear a hot pink swimsuit and a flower in your Hair?

With-a-flower-in-her-hair

The little girl who had short, red,
curly hair, bobbed up and down the aisle while her Mother looked at
swimsuits. I was amused by her non-stop chatter, and her Mother's
faithful replies. When the little girl wandered-off, the Mother would ask,
"Where is my shadow?" The little girl would quickly return assuring
her, "Here I am!"

Standing in the same aisle, I was captivated by their relationship.

Soon thereafter a large-triple-sized
woman came into our aisle to pick through the swimsuits. The little
girl looked the woman over a few times. Then pointed at her, exclaiming, "Look Mommy SHE' S really big!

Her mother paused… then gathered the little girl in her arms, "Yes she is big and you are small. The woman is just right the way she is. I am just right the way I am, and you are just right the way you are too. We are perfect however we are made, big or small." The Mother put her daughter down, and the little girl started to twirl, her red hair danced on her forehead.

Isn't it good to know we are "just right" the way we are?

Hearing that message (which certainly was meant for me,) I held up the hot pink swimsuit, winked
at the little girl with red hair, and twirled.

Photo: My niece Tatianna with a flower in her hair.

Comments

38 responses to “Why not wear a hot pink swimsuit and a flower in your Hair?”

  1. Alexis Lozano

    I love Tatianna and her mother, they sound like lovely people. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Penelope

    Keep twirling through your day, Corey. I admire mothers who know how to give the appropriate response when their children aren’t intentionally rude in their worldly observations.

    Reply
  3. Celeste

    Isn’t it lovely to encounter the sweetness of true love in parenting. Thank you for sharing the Encounter.

    Reply
  4. La Framéricaine

    Very nice story, Corey. Thank you for sharing it with us.
    I like your new photo. It’s wonderful!

    Reply
  5. Betty

    I love the message in that story.

    Reply
  6. Gina Baynham

    A very well handled answer.
    I was once in a queue with my 4 year old daughter. There was a lady in front of us who was a dwarf. My daughter pulled at my arm and said in a very loud whisper “Mum, look at the little lady” I didn’t know what to reply and assumed she was commenting about the lady’s size but when my daughter continued it was to tell me that the little lady had a sore thumb like she did. I felt relief sweep over me as it was so much easier to talk about this strangers sore thumb than why she was so small!

    Reply
  7. Vicki

    I will twirl to that!!!

    Reply
  8. Evelyn Jackson

    What a wise mama! That’s one of those answers I wouldn’t think of until 2 days later. I love the image of everyone twirling in the aisle!

    Reply
  9. kelleyn

    What a sweet story!

    Reply
  10. heather kathleen

    we ARE just right! thank you for your beautiful story!

    Reply
  11. Cre8Tiva

    beautiful…

    Reply
  12. Mo’a

    I am going to print out this wise woman’s reply and attach it to my on my bathroom mirror.

    Reply
  13. Mary

    Sometimes it’s so hard to say the right thing at the right time! Kudos to that maman – she definitely had it all together when it came to parenting.
    How wonderful that the large lady still planned to don a swimsuit. Many of us are too body conscious to literally ‘take the plunge’ when age and size are no longer perfect, whatever that is supposed to be!
    I say let’s all head to the shore in hot pink and twirl in the sea – see you there Corey!!!!!

    Reply
  14. Laura

    The right words for me as well…thank you,

    Reply
  15. annie

    Little Tatianna is a wise woman in the making.

    Reply
  16. Jeanette McCabe

    I needed to hear this today – thank you.

    Reply
  17. caren

    I love to TWIRL – maybe not in a swimsuit! That mother is a genius for thinking so fast!

    Reply
  18. georgie

    My father was about 4 ft. 6 in. tall, it amazed me how rude people could be in public. Some(mostly adults)didn’t seem to realize or care that he had feelings and could hear what they said. The children genuinely were curious. Then there were the good parents, who would tell their children what your fellow customer did. Bless her heart!

    Reply
  19. FrenchBlue

    Wow Corey~
    YOU ARE THE BEST! Thank you for this post!! It is chicken soup for my soul. I think Tatianna and her mother were angels and I think you would be just right in that hot pink bathing suit and I think I will go twirl now with a smile~
    XO’s

    Reply
  20. Debbie

    What could have been an embarrassing moment turned into a lovely lesson for us all…I feel “just right” too ~ time for a twirl!

    Reply
  21. Square-Peg Karen

    ohmword!ohmword!ohmword! This REALLY hits the spot! What an incredible mom – it’s so easy to try to “hush” a child when they say things that could be upsetting to someone…I hope the delightful mom (and the twirling sweetie pie – the OTHER one) will read this! So wonderful that you captured this for the rest of us who weren’t there! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  22. donna childree gotlib

    This is cinematic. I read and felt that I was there. What a joy.

    Reply
  23. Kathie

    Here in Pittsburgh, the longtime broadcast home of western Pennsylvania’s beloved late Fred Rogers (creator of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”), we’re proud of his famous quote, “I like you just the way you are.” Are his shows known at all in France? If so, are they dubbed into French?
    When I was very young — small enough I remember my mother still holding my hand whenever I crossed the street — I once spotted a Gertrude Stein-ish looking individual in our crosswalk going in the opposite direction. I pointed at the person and loudly asked, “Mommy, Mommy, is that a man or a woman?” My embarrassed mother jerked my hand and hissed that if I’d stop asking she promised to explain after we got across the street (which she did).

    Reply
  24. Mindi

    What a charming encounter, thanks for sharing the story. Kids always have a way to enlighten us.

    Reply
  25. Kimberly C.

    ha – that is pretty sweet. I remember when my daughter was young and wanted to express her observations of people who were “big”, I taught her to say they were “tall” instead. That way I wouldn’t be so embarrassed.

    Reply
  26. Tammy

    Such a lovely post. I love parents like that. It makes the world a beautiful place.
    hugs and love

    Reply
  27. Common Ground

    Certainly a lesson for everyone, and how wonderful that the mother took the awkward moment and made it affirming, rather than a negative.
    Debra

    Reply
  28. Kathie

    Then there’s what we liked to say about some of our, ahem, heftier cats: “Him not fat, him fluffy!”

    Reply
  29. anna

    what a lovely answer, Corey. She helped her daughter to value each and everyone one of us no matter what shape and size we are.
    I had a student once say to me” Mrs. M, why are you so squishy ( I am a larger woman) my answer was T., that is just the way I am made. He accepted that answer and we went on to talk about something else. When I think of him it is always with a smile. There are lots of worse things that he could have called me…
    Thanks for sharing the lovely story – as always another beautiful post.
    Warmest regards,
    Anna

    Reply
  30. SweetPeaSurry

    What a lovely and affirming story. That mother was brilliant!
    blessings!

    Reply
  31. KindaSassy

    *twirl*
    there is nothing else to be said….

    Reply
  32. Kerry

    Thanks Cori , I needed to read that today as well.. I read your blog all the time but have been unable to post much lately. I really enjoy your writing and pictures that you share as well.

    Reply
  33. hair accessories

    An amazing mother! It’s good to know that there are still people who doesn’t judge people by the outside features. Very inspiring story.

    Reply
  34. Genevieve

    Not exactly the point you wre making but still, this recalls to me a story a friend brought to our women’s group:
    Recently, in large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:
    ¨THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?¨
    A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.
    To Whom It May Concern:
    Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). 
    They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. 
    They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. 
    They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia.
    Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. 
    They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.
    They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.
    Mermaids don’t exist.  If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis.  Fish or human?  They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex?  Therefore they do not have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?
    The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

    Reply
  35. Scarlet

    What a beautiful post…we all need a bit of reminding every now and again that we are perfect just as we are.
    By the way, Cory, congrats on your blog ranking (13th in the world for france blogs!!)…if you haven’t already seen, it’s here: http://www.invesp.com/blog-rank/France#ultimate

    Reply
  36. Catherine

    If only the world could be as open to our differences, and embrace them, as much as that Mother and child did. Thank you.

    Reply
  37. GunnersideGill

    Wise woman,
    GG

    Reply
  38. Sherry

    A wise woman indeed. A message of love to the woman in question, a message of love to the daughter, to know that whatever her body type — she is beautiful “just as she is” and a message to every person everywhere. I’ll keep this story in my heart forever. My sister was a “very big woman”. I wish she was still here so I could share this with her.

    Reply

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