“Grandma, mom is worried about me and I don’t think she needs to be.” Her little face set, her usual sunny smile missing, Martha set down her tea. She patted the seat beside her. “Now, now, Abby, mother’s do worry about their children. I still worry about your mother from time to time. Tell me about this worry.” Abby sat by her grandmother, stared at the table then looked up at Martha. “She thinks I’m not eating enough.” Martha glanced at Elizabeth. “Well, why would she think that? Everyone has a poor appetite once in a while.”
“I’m watching my weight, grandma. I want to be like the girls at school. My appetite is ok, except sometimes I get really hungry. But I always eat something at each meal.” Elizabeth stepped in. “So that’s why I’ve missed you after school. You always come in for cookies and chocolate milk until the last week or so.”
For the remainder of the afternoon, they talked. The three of them, Abby’s grandma, her Auntie Cook and Abby, decided that Abby would see their doctor before she followed any diet. Martha hoped that would be enough, but decided to look up counselors in Hartley for her granddaughter.
~~~~~
“We may have caught a problem in time, Joanie. Abby’s been here this afternoon.” She told her daughter the plans they had set up. Joanie sounded relieved but still worried. She had seen in her students, girls and one or two boys, that succumbed to eating disorders and did not want that to happen to her daughter. “You and the children come to the cottage for supper on Sunday. I’m doing a pot roast that will be too much for just James and I.”
“Thank you mom! For your talk with Abby and for the invitation. We’ll be there ~ as a matter of fact why don’t we come early. I’ll bring a salad.” Plans set in motion, hopefully life would settle into a comfortable routine again.
“There is no school equal to decent home and
no teachers equal to honest virtuous parents.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
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