that's it. end of story.

Thai people can be very blunt, like the Dutch...especially family...you'll immediately know when you've gained weight, lost weight, look haggard (just biked 16km hard), look withered (just woke), look dry (I don't even want to know in what context), look old, look like a crazy person (wearing a poncho), look like a ghost (haven't seen me in awhile), look like a witch that doesn't own a comb - you get the picture. 

I used to hate it so much growing up. It's hard enough being a teenager and like everyone wants to point out you have a zit on your face throughout the day, as if you didn't notice. I mean it's cruel! But I learned over many, many, many years that it's just a generational thing a generation was brought up thinking was a way of showing affection...as if to say, I love you and that's why I want to point out the zit so you don't go around public having an unperfect face. They mean well. 

As I've gotten older, I've learned to actually appreciate the bluntness at times....you don't have to figure out what someone means when they say something....that said, someone told me after listening to the last podcast that I shouldn't include the story about my son pranking his granny....that maybe it looks like I'm a bad mom...and I figured I'd address this publicly because maybe people go through similar things and need to hear this...

I know what kind of mom I am and my kid knows what kind of mom I am and the people of flesh and blood around us know what kind of a mom I am. That's it. End of story.

Don't spend your time worrying what other people think of you - and certainly don't spend your time worrying about what other people think of me! I can't stress this enough to everyone - the people who know you, know you. The people that got you, are the people that got you. The ones that find you and stick with you are the ones that matter. We've only got so much time here so I think it makes much better sense to use that time wisely. Have character, have empathy, have a good moral compass, have integrity, and you will find that it will get you far in life (and it really doesn't take a lot of work).