The shape of things to come

Yesterday I bought Kamryn a pair of jeans from the Gap. Size 7, slim. Ordinarily I would have looked at the size and cursed the ordinariness of my daughter (who I didn't believe belonged in slim anything) but they were on sale for a ridiculously low price. I thought, "just maybe ..." and then double checked to make sure I could still return them even though they had been marked down so much they were practically free.

Numerous persons in the past have referred to Kamryn as petite. I always smile politiely while privately thinking that the person must be deluded. Now I know my kid isn't huge but she is well proportioned and has never been what I would call skinny. But everything is relative. Last week (and again yesterday) I took her to swimming lessons. Wow. Kamryn is skinny. She's petite. She's downright emaciated compared to most of the little girls I saw wandering around the pool. Fully clothed I probably wouldn't have noticed much of a difference but in a swimming suit I was stunned at all the toddler bellies that hadn't gone away. At the soft tummies and the plump little legs. None Most of these kids weren't what I would consider overweight but I did come to realize what "not skinny" means. It was kind of depressing. I have roll near the bottom of my ribcage when I slouch. I don't think it's all that noticeable but it bothers me (obviously not enough for me to do anything about it). I was looking at one little girl with similar substantially more obvious rolls and it made me feel REALLY bad for her. Maybe she has a healthy self image and it doesn't bother her at all but I can't believe that. AT 41, I shrug these things off - I'm getting old so who really cares. But at 7 or 8?

Anyway, the size 7 slim jeans fit well (as long as I cinched the elastic inside the waistband to make them smaller. I'm convinced. Kamryn is most definitely petite. Everything being relative.