skin.
She looked at him guardedly. Her face clearly poised to defend the outfit.
Michelle’s eyes met his. She looked tired and disappointed. Steve knew he had two choices. Confront the outfit and risk an outburst that would ruin the evening before it got started, or choose to ignore it and hope for a chance to breech the subject later that night. He chose the latter.
Glancing over at his wife, he gave her a reassuring smile. “All set?” he asked Madison.
She looked a little startled. “Yeah.”
Steve held out his arm. “Then let’s go.”
Madison reached for it and wobbled a bit on her heels. Steve just held firm, and she was able to regain her balance. “See you around eleven,” he said to Michelle, who nodded, her eyebrows raised in a skeptical expression.
As Steve glanced over at their daughter, he saw a smug smile on her face. Triumph over Mom, he thought. This should be an interesting evening.
After Steve and Madison had left, Michelle picked up the phone and called Kelly. “Can you talk?” she asked, when her friend picked up.
“Sure. Just give me a minute.”
Michelle heard muffled voices in the background. With Kelly’s large brood, there was always someone needing something.
“Okay, I’m back,” her friend said. “What’s up?”
“Remember I told you about Steve and Madison’s date night?” Michelle began.
“Yeah. It’s tonight, right?”
“Mmm hmmm. They just left.”
“You don’t sound happy,” Kelly observed.
“You should have seen what Maddie was wearing, Kelly. She had on the shortest mini skirt and off-the-shoulder sweater along with a pair of spike heels that were at least four inches, if not more.”
“I take it you’ve never seen the outfit before?”
“Never,” Michelle replied. “She’s been doing some shopping for school recently, but this was not from any of the purchases I knew about. I asked her where she got the things, and she said, ‘What does it matter? I used my own money.’ She’s really changing. I’m worried.”
“What did Steve say?”
“He played it cool and gave me the ‘I’ll handle this’ look.”
“I think that was smart. Madison knows how to push your buttons, Michelle. She’s a teenager. She’s going to try stuff like this. It’s part of figuring out who she is and how she wants to live her life.”
“Yeah. I guess it’s just a combination of everything—the dieting and the clothes—that have me worried. She’s such a beautiful girl. Why can’t she see that?”
“Could you, at her age?” Kelly asked.
Michelle paused. She thought about how many people had complimented her on her appearance over the years. She still had a hard time believing them. Had she passed along the same doubts to her own daughter?
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah. You’re right. Why is it always so hard for us to see ourselves as others do?”
Kelly laughed. “I don’t know. I guess maybe it’s society and the push for a certain look that is plastered on every beauty magazine on the newsstands. Or the enemy’s attempt to derail us from viewing ourselves the way God does.”
“What about Lucy? Does she wrestle with this, too?” Michelle hoped to find some affirmation that every teen had the same struggle.
“My Lucy? She’s a different breed. You know that. Ever since she was a toddler, she’s been storming ahead, grabbing life by the reins, and plowing forward with zeal. So it’s not as easy to see it in her as in your sweet, sensitive Madison. But I’m sure there are times Lucy faces her own internal struggles. She’s just not one to let on. She’d rather have everyone think she’s got it all figured out.”
Michelle sighed. “I sure hope this date night goes well. She was mad at me when they left, but hopefully Steve will be able to reach her.”
“I’ll pray. Let me know how it goes.” A shouting match could be heard in the background. “I’d better go. The boys are at it again.”
“Okay.
She looked at him guardedly. Her face clearly poised to defend the outfit.
Michelle’s eyes met his. She looked tired and disappointed. Steve knew he had two choices. Confront the outfit and risk an outburst that would ruin the evening before it got started, or choose to ignore it and hope for a chance to breech the subject later that night. He chose the latter.
Glancing over at his wife, he gave her a reassuring smile. “All set?” he asked Madison.
She looked a little startled. “Yeah.”
Steve held out his arm. “Then let’s go.”
Madison reached for it and wobbled a bit on her heels. Steve just held firm, and she was able to regain her balance. “See you around eleven,” he said to Michelle, who nodded, her eyebrows raised in a skeptical expression.
As Steve glanced over at their daughter, he saw a smug smile on her face. Triumph over Mom, he thought. This should be an interesting evening.
After Steve and Madison had left, Michelle picked up the phone and called Kelly. “Can you talk?” she asked, when her friend picked up.
“Sure. Just give me a minute.”
Michelle heard muffled voices in the background. With Kelly’s large brood, there was always someone needing something.
“Okay, I’m back,” her friend said. “What’s up?”
“Remember I told you about Steve and Madison’s date night?” Michelle began.
“Yeah. It’s tonight, right?”
“Mmm hmmm. They just left.”
“You don’t sound happy,” Kelly observed.
“You should have seen what Maddie was wearing, Kelly. She had on the shortest mini skirt and off-the-shoulder sweater along with a pair of spike heels that were at least four inches, if not more.”
“I take it you’ve never seen the outfit before?”
“Never,” Michelle replied. “She’s been doing some shopping for school recently, but this was not from any of the purchases I knew about. I asked her where she got the things, and she said, ‘What does it matter? I used my own money.’ She’s really changing. I’m worried.”
“What did Steve say?”
“He played it cool and gave me the ‘I’ll handle this’ look.”
“I think that was smart. Madison knows how to push your buttons, Michelle. She’s a teenager. She’s going to try stuff like this. It’s part of figuring out who she is and how she wants to live her life.”
“Yeah. I guess it’s just a combination of everything—the dieting and the clothes—that have me worried. She’s such a beautiful girl. Why can’t she see that?”
“Could you, at her age?” Kelly asked.
Michelle paused. She thought about how many people had complimented her on her appearance over the years. She still had a hard time believing them. Had she passed along the same doubts to her own daughter?
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah. You’re right. Why is it always so hard for us to see ourselves as others do?”
Kelly laughed. “I don’t know. I guess maybe it’s society and the push for a certain look that is plastered on every beauty magazine on the newsstands. Or the enemy’s attempt to derail us from viewing ourselves the way God does.”
“What about Lucy? Does she wrestle with this, too?” Michelle hoped to find some affirmation that every teen had the same struggle.
“My Lucy? She’s a different breed. You know that. Ever since she was a toddler, she’s been storming ahead, grabbing life by the reins, and plowing forward with zeal. So it’s not as easy to see it in her as in your sweet, sensitive Madison. But I’m sure there are times Lucy faces her own internal struggles. She’s just not one to let on. She’d rather have everyone think she’s got it all figured out.”
Michelle sighed. “I sure hope this date night goes well. She was mad at me when they left, but hopefully Steve will be able to reach her.”
“I’ll pray. Let me know how it goes.” A shouting match could be heard in the background. “I’d better go. The boys are at it again.”
“Okay.
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