My European guest arrives, tall, sleek, thin, beautiful 30 year old woman. I'm early 50, short, not sleek and about as average looking as it gets. I am a bit jealous. Okay, I'm more than a bit jealous.  I feel dumpy standing next to her. Okay, I am dumpy standing next to her.  I push these thoughts aside and focus on conversation.   But I can't help myself, I watch everything she eats.  I see her eating 3 meals a day and even eating dessert when it is available.  Not fair, eating all that and staying thin!  So I watch closer and listen. 

Dinner time.  I place another roll on my plate and pass the rolls to her.  What do I hear each time? A polite "no thank you."   The same quiet phrase I hear when I offer her packaged sweets or a second helping.  I think of all the packaged sweets, rolls, and second helpings I've eaten this last year.

We are driving by a swamp and she says she is thirsty.  It is many miles before we will reach the nearest store.  I joke that I could stop and scoop up some swamp water to quench her thirst.  She chuckles and looks at my coke and says I am drinking swamp water.  I watch her,  I see she only drinks water or hot tea (no sugar).  I think of how much swamp water I've had durng the last year.

I cook chicken vegtable soup.  She is excited. She eats it for dinner and the next morning for breakfast.  She says it is so much better than the cereal she has been having with me for breakfast.  I think about the cereal and donuts I've been eating for breakfast all year.

I pick up a half gallon of ice cream for our final meal together with other guest.  I have to wait for what seems like forever while she selects her single serving ice cream.  She apologizes but says it must be the right one because she has not had any for 1 year.  She says Ice cream makes her fat so she usually avoids it. I watch her enjoy her single serving and know she will wait before having another. I think about the many, many bowls of ice cream I have consumed this past year. 

She says one cookie is usually not enough but two are plenty.  I think about how I have eaten a whole package of cookies.

She enjoys her food and savors every bite.  She eats 3 good meals a day.  She enjoys sweets, but not too much or too often.  She looks fabulous.  I'm glad she came to visit.  I won't grow taller, but I will grow thinner as I follow her example and say politely "no thank you" the next time the rolls are passed my way.