I�d like to thank everyone who left comments in reference to Rebecca�s dismay over finding herself seated at a table with a girl wearing the same prom dress. Many of your remarks gave me some objective perspective. After running myself ragged after work several evenings prior to the prom, racing hither and yon with Rebecca so she could get everything she needed for the big night, I might not have been as sympathetic to her plight as I should have been.

I still think the sobbing was a bit of an overreaction (plus I was concerned that her crying would ruin the makeup I had so carefully applied for her). However, my dear readers gave me the nudge I needed to stop and consider why Rebecca took this identical gown situation so hard. Having been an extremely insecure teenager myself, I should have been more understanding of how my daughter felt.

While she has never been �fat,� Rebecca, like her mother, has a tendency to carry around some extra pounds. In a society that reveres the very thin, those who are NOT very thin often doubt their attractiveness. This is the case with Rebecca. It doesn�t help that she has a sister who fits the societal standards for beauty. In other words, Leigh is SKINNY.

The bottom line is, Rebecca is self-conscious about her weight, and it affects the way she feels about her appearance, and ultimately, herself. Been there, done that. TO be honest, I STILL do that.

Rebecca paid for all prom expenses herself. Her father and I split the cost for her senior prom last year, and she understood that we should not be expected to do that again. (It was her boyfriend's senior prom this year.) Besides buying the dress, she had her hair and nails done.

Recently, Rebecca lost about twenty pounds. The dress she bought for the prom is a size 8. Understandably, she was feeling pretty good about the way she looked. And she did look beautiful.

When you consider that Rebecca so often feels self-conscious, and was finally feeling better about her appearance, I guess it makes sense that on an evening when she thought she looked �special,� being seated at a table with another girl who was wearing the same prom gown would be a bit of a blow to her fragile ego.

Fortunately, there is a happy ending to this story. The other girl was forewarned, and moved to another table before Rebecca sat down. Hah! Rebecca and her boyfriend ended up having a wonderful evening. Crisis averted. Phew.

Song of the Day: All�s Well That Ends Well by The Bee Gees