The First Strike’
At a family dinner, she served everyone lasagna—except me.
I got “a single bowl of lettuce.”
Then she smiled and said, “You have such a pretty face.
It’s a shame you let your body ruin it.”
Choosing Clarity
I responded not with fury, but clarity.
At the next dinner, I gave her a mirror with a card:
“Since you’re so focused on appearances,
I figured you’d want to see your own.”
She laughed, but I felt a shift begin.
The Quiet War
Her subtle cruelty continued: diet brochures, backhanded comments.
My husband dismissed them as “old-fashioned.”
I started therapy, learning to respond calmly:
“Yes. I chose it because I feel strong in it,”
and “You’d be kind if you dropped the commentary.”
Recognition and Repair
Later, she revealed a health scare and apologized:
“I thought I was preparing you for the world.
But all I did… was repeat what was done to me.” Over time, she changed.
“You’ve taught me more than you realize,” she said. And so did I.
