My Aunt told me to always keep my legs crossed......

But, the more weight I gained, that became an impossibility!

The week before I left for college, I spent an afternoon with my Aunt Theresa. It was 1976. I was only the third (and last) member of our big family to go to college. And, I was going away. Not all that far, mind you. But, I was not going to be living in a place where my grandfather was up the street, one aunt was around the corner, another was a few blocks away and the furtherest relative lived about 3 miles. My college campus would not be filled with first, second or third cousins and uncles on every corner. And, being a girl......well.....it was a pretty adventuresome idea to go to college let alone leave home to do it. Given all of that, my aunt had a bit of advice for me----"keep your legs crossed." Now, I'm pretty sure she wasn't giving me etiquette advice. But, if she were----at 17, I would have had no problem crossing my legs. If she were giving me that advice just a few months ago.....I'd have to say "Aunt Theresa, it ain't going to happen." And, I would not be talking about what she was talking about back in 1976. I'd be talking about the fact that somewhere along the line, as I gained weight, it became impossible to cross my legs. It's as if one day, I swung one leg to cross it and all of a sudden, it bounced back. No matter how hard I tried to swing my leg, it still came bouncing back. Soon I gave up crossing my legs. It made me sad. I always liked the whole look of crossing legs. There was something so grown up about it. So classy and elegant. Sitting with legs crossed at the ankles never held the same clout as sitting with your entire legs crossed. But, that's what I had to do. I became one of those crossed ankle people. My large girth had taken away my ability to be classy and elegant.

But, today, it happened. Without thinking, I crossed my legs. A few seconds later, I realized that I was sitting there.....in a chair....with my legs crossed. And, my leg was holding in place. One leg was draped across the other---above my knee and it was staying put. I was sitting there......with my legs crossed. Right there. With my legs crossed.

Aunt Theresa......I'm keeping my legs crossed. And, this time, they are staying that way.