The Inside Bully

My girls were frolicking around in the neighborhood pool today with me. One Mama Eye tracked my two-year-old, suspended by floaties. The other Mama Eye hovered on my four-year-old, swimming towards me like a seal, sans floaties.

But my inner Mama Eye, the one our mothers referred to as the eyes in the back of their heads, well, that one watched a boy.

A boy, obese and eating a bag of Fritos right at the edge of the pool. His sister came and stole the bag of Fritos from him. His mother, also obese, floated in the pool's deep end. The boy shrieked and took off chasing his sister. He began to bawl. He cried out, "Give me back my chips!"

His sister laughed. "Hey Mom, he's exercising."
His mother teased. "Can't get your Fritos!"

This went on an on, until finally the boy, who appeared to be no older than six, sunk his body into the pool and inched his way around the pool wall to his mother. He was sobbing. Uncontrollably.

And his mother, his sister... they were laughing.

I felt like crying, and probably would have if my two girls were not giggling at each other as they splashed one another, completely oblivious to the boy's traumatic moment.

Bullies are found in hallways, bathrooms, the back of the bus. But they are also found inside families.

I failed to see the humor in the Frito chase today. Perhaps I'm just a humorless person.

Instead, I did see the boy's future. Because of his weight, this boy will probably get teased and taunted at school. His family may be the only place where he can relax. But I'm not sure if he will feel safe to let his guard down even then.

Perhaps this was just a one time thing. Maybe the mom and sister had the boy's best interest in mind and only wanted him to raise his heart rate. It could be they just did not want him to eat any more Fritos and did not know how to get him to stop without raising a fuss in a public place.

I don't know their circumstances. I only saw the surface of what went on around me. But what I did see didn't make me laugh.