Sweet Sacrifice
Azul, my now five-year old, has been going through a stage, or at least I hope it’s a stage, of sneaking and hiding candy. I have found it in his bed, under his bed, behind his bedroom door and in the closet. All the places you would expect candy to be hidden, it was. He basically gets to eat all the candy he wants, so I have explained that there is no need to be sneaky. This weekend, while we were running errands, Azul kept limping and having what seemed like trouble walking. I repeatedly asked him if he was hurt or if his shoe was on wrong and his answer remained that same “No.” He even, at one point, took off his shoe to show me it was okay. 
So, I let it go, but being the keenly observant parent I am and after an afternoon of hobbling, I told him to take his shoe off and…There it was — a hot sweaty orange Starburst! It was gross and I asked the obvious, because that was the first thing to come to my mind, “Is that what you’ve been hiding?” And we both started laughing at the abuse the poor candy took throughout the day. Of course, I then asked laughing, “Are going to eat that?” His answer still didn’t change, “No.”
Not so fast!
I had been looking forward to a day of relaxation at a local spa and bath house for quite some time, and that day was finally here! My plan was to get there early and soak in their outdoor tub, then get a massage and then soak some more. I wore my bathing suit, an unassuming, full coverage, one-piece, black suit I always use when I soak, under my cover-up so I could start relaxing the moment I got there. After my massage, I put my bathing suit back on and went outside to the “women only” pool. This is the pool where, obviously, there are only women, and many of them strip down to the buff in a comfortable atmosphere. After looking around (I know I’m not supposed to be looking, but there is all this skin and hair everywhere), finally, I spot a lounge chair, lay back and get comfortable. I had just gotten a massage, my body felt good, and after peeking at my companions I was feeling pretty good about myself too. I started thinking, why am I ashamed to get naked when these ladies aren’t, what am I afraid of, I look alright. And that’s when I did it. For the first time ever, I slid out of my suit, and the sun felt awesome. It was a beautiful bright Fall day and I took full advantage. Well they say “All good things must come to an end,” and they did, but I felt rejuvenated and also got a bonus self-esteem boost… until evening rolled around. There may be a reason all those parts never see the light of day — THEY GET BURNED! And I was, figuratively and literally.
Azulism #6
It’s a small world…
Carmelina Hart 