She had always been short and round, even as a child. She was cherubic and cute but never more than that. Her prettier friends often pitied her, mostly to her face but she could feel the blanket of their opinions weighing on her like an unwanted comforter in the middle of a heat wave. It was near suffocating to be in their presence but their parents insisted.
Emily loved to dance and dreamed that as she stretched and stretched her limbs she would grow into the willowy and graceful person she knew she was on the inside. She felt so free when she was stretching and swooping through her dance steps that she began to attract a different sort of pity. The dancing made her metabolism race and so as she grew she didn't put on much weight. Now she might be taller and less round but she was so thin that she seemed insubstantial.
Boys noticed her friends and their more feminine curves but our Emily was still stretching and stretching to reach that pinnacle of perfection she saw in herself.
Emily was accepted to a prestigious dance academy and when she left it was to the murmurs of, "What happened to that beautiful little child?" She pretended she hadn't heard but it cut deep to hear that she was still somehow lacking, still something to be pitied.
A few years later her most ardent detractor was taken to the theater by a suitor who was gushing all about the newest dancer in the retinue. Ashley was intrigued because there was something so familiar about the beautiful, graceful dancer forever caught in a pose. Was that Emily? Surely there was some mistake!
Just before the performance Ashley stood before the young woman who she had pitied all those years for not being beautiful, graceful or as blessed with good looks as Ashley had been. She was awestruck at the change in her friend. Emily smiled and said, "Tell me now how you pity me for being small and round. Tell me how You are somehow more blessed than I am. Make it quick, though, I am wanted on stage!"
With that our Emily swooped away and spread her gossamer wings to soar amongst the clouds while Ashley stood bemused and watching.
Emily loved to dance and dreamed that as she stretched and stretched her limbs she would grow into the willowy and graceful person she knew she was on the inside. She felt so free when she was stretching and swooping through her dance steps that she began to attract a different sort of pity. The dancing made her metabolism race and so as she grew she didn't put on much weight. Now she might be taller and less round but she was so thin that she seemed insubstantial.
Boys noticed her friends and their more feminine curves but our Emily was still stretching and stretching to reach that pinnacle of perfection she saw in herself.
Emily was accepted to a prestigious dance academy and when she left it was to the murmurs of, "What happened to that beautiful little child?" She pretended she hadn't heard but it cut deep to hear that she was still somehow lacking, still something to be pitied.
A few years later her most ardent detractor was taken to the theater by a suitor who was gushing all about the newest dancer in the retinue. Ashley was intrigued because there was something so familiar about the beautiful, graceful dancer forever caught in a pose. Was that Emily? Surely there was some mistake!
Just before the performance Ashley stood before the young woman who she had pitied all those years for not being beautiful, graceful or as blessed with good looks as Ashley had been. She was awestruck at the change in her friend. Emily smiled and said, "Tell me now how you pity me for being small and round. Tell me how You are somehow more blessed than I am. Make it quick, though, I am wanted on stage!"
With that our Emily swooped away and spread her gossamer wings to soar amongst the clouds while Ashley stood bemused and watching.
