That Little Girl
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You
By Corrie Lopez

We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.
~Virginia Satir

My ten-year-old self loved summertime. Sleeping in. Lying out on the porch with my big sister with her boom box playing, the smell of tanning oil and lemon juice drifting in the air. It was heaven. But the best part of summer was the community pool. Everyone was there.

We didn’t have a care in the world. My friends and I were not interested in politics or Hollywood. Our biggest concern was which one of us could hold her breath underwater the longest. We didn’t care what we looked like or who was cool. I never once thought about how I looked in a swimsuit or if my hair looked good. I was aware (only slightly) that I was bigger than most of the girls my age. I wasn’t super-thin like some of the other girls I saw flirting with the lifeguards, but I didn’t care. It never occurred to me to care. I loved life. I loved my friends. I loved the water, the warm air on my face, getting up the courage to jump off the diving board... Life was good. (Keep reading)