Body Shaming

I came across the story of a mother who took offense at a saleslady's advice that her daughter should wear a girdle with a gown. The nerve of the woman to imply that her daughter's body was shameful. Her daughter who swims, runs, does yoga, etc... so fit and healthy... perfect because she is God's creation... sure... but she still needs a girdle to look better in the gown. As a matter of fact, the mother should have seen that for herself.

Mothers think their children are perfect. And they are! But this world is not yours alone and there will be people out there who will not agree.  Why not appreciate helpful guidance like that? Why be offended by a simple fact like that? There are meanies out there... and they can crush a girl's dignity with a couple of snide remarks and giggles. So why not put on the hat of a meanie, look at the world the way a meanie does, think meanie things and protect your children from such? When I see a girl walking around in an unbecoming outfit, I wonder where their mothers were and why they let them out of their house looking like that.

So I looked at the comments on this post and many declared how beautiful the girl was, how stunning she looked in the gown, etc. No... they are liars. They are trying to brainwash the girl. She was bulging all over the gown which is not for her body type. Surely there is a more flattering cut for her. My daughter is blessed with a nice, slim figure so it is easy to dress her up but if she were chunky, I'd get her dresses that would flatter her chunkiness.

We all know that if that girl went to the prom in that dress, she'll be easy picking for all the meanie girls there. Why would any mother want that? Just get her another dress or get the dang girdle!

I remember when Kayla was a junior and I sent her to the JS prom in a simple straight evening dress. She told me she was so under-dressed and indeed I saw the others in ball gowns. I deeply regretted that! She will always remember that I made her go under-dressed and I cannot bear the thought that she may have gotten picked on by ball-gown-clad meanies. So in her senior year, I had a ball gown made to her liking plus a lovely cocktail dress to change into after the ball. She was happier.

Going back to perfect girl who needs a girdle, now that her mother's post has gone viral, she's probably unhappier because you can bet your twinkies the meanies in her school actually told her to her face that she really DID need a girdle for that dress... maybe even nastier things than that.

The truth hurts. Pick your battles. Viral is not always the way to go.

God's perfect creations cannot always get justice from man's imperfect creations.

This is not heaven after all.


**picture from the FB post