273 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
I have a hella dark sense of humor and that is not what a dark sense of humor means.
OP, my parents refused to put me in a brace for my scoliosis as a kid because they thought I would stand out and be bullied for it (which told me *they* would have bullied me for it as kids). They avoided a lot of medical issues (paid attention to the ones that you couldn't ignore, but that's it) because they didn't want me to be *that* sick kid. But they did put my teeth in braces for years to make sure I had pretty teeth.
Bracing as recommended by the doctor is important and can mess you up if you avoid, as you know. I'm glad he's not avoiding, but I agree with you it sends a message that he doesn't think a person can be beautiful if wearing any-- which even if he doesn't really mean it, hurts.
And he's not wrong that braces aren't always aesthetically pleasing. I wear corsets instead of back braces now partially for that reason (also they're cheaper/more comfortable). But the key is that the braces themselves are not pleasing-- they don't impact the person and whether they look beautiful or not. The most beautiful person in the world is still going to be beautiful wearing a burlap sack, after all.
Giving him the most grace, it might have been a thoughtless thing he said and now he's embarrassed he said it and was called on it. But he does need to understand that's not a thing to say again, especially once your daughter is old enough to start even slightly understanding what he says.
Comment by rustymontenegro at 09/01/2025 at 17:12 UTC
78 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The most beautiful person in the world is still going to be beautiful wearing a burlap sack, after all.
All of your points are wonderful, but I love this sly shout out to Marilyn.