How are you using your words?

So yesterday I was visiting my family in Long Beach. I was walking out to my sister's car when I heard my mother's neighbor and a long long time family friend call to me. "Robin!"

"Hi there!" I answered.

"You gittin big." She replied. Now, she is my grandmother's age so I didn't say anything to her except smile. Then she kept looking at me. So I looked back at her. With the same smile, like, "What?" but I didn't say anything. Then when I noticed she didn't say anyting I said, politely, "Umm, should I say thank you?"

"No. I'm just sayin'. No harm meant."

"Oh, ok." And I went back into the house.

My sister gave me a ride home to Los Angeles last night and I told her about that incident while we were riding. I told her that it was interesting that I never, and if there has ever been a time then I don't remember it, say things like that to people. Yet, folks are very comfortable saying whatever to me. My clothes, art, weight at whatever stage. Growing up until my very late twenties I was very thin and folks had stuff to say about that. At this stage in my life I am curvy and LOVING it and folks have their comments about that. Oddly, the people who judge what I wear, look like, sound like, are never the people I want to look like, sound like, get down like.

My point here is this, use your words to uplift. Think about what you say to people before you say it. I don't let people leave my day without complimenting them. Maybe it's weird, maybe it comes from feeling judged most of my life. But...I want people to know, that if no one said to them today, "you look beautiful" I want them to know that they do.

Back to my mother's neighbor, I honestly don't think that she meant any harm. We very very rarely see each other and she only remembers me as being very thin and out struts these thighs and this butt...Hey. I acknowldege myself though. The old me, a me few years ago and Robin for sure would have made some joke about myself, we would have laughed and I would have gone back in the house. And I would have been angry at myself for making me small. I will not apologize for being any of who I am. I am a beautiful, awesome reflection of God's love and am a blessing to this planet. I will honor myself as such and I honor you as such.