We all have one of these. Some of us have more than one. By which I mean, a friend who we may laugh with, cry with, work side by side with, but who we know way deep down in our gut, in the place where intuition lies, doesn't wish the best for us.
This friend may be a very good person in all sorts of ways. She may not even mean to hurt us. But hurt she does. So it went with Helen, my friend of 15 years.
One afternoon, Helen came by the house for a visit. She brought along a woman I didn't know. My son was having a big old toddler tantrum at the moment and I was delighted by the tantrum. He had been terribly ill as an infant and had very nearly died. I was all for normal toddler behavior. He was red-faced, screaming, stamping his little feet. Alive! Healthy!
As I scooped him up in my arms, I overheard Helen's companion ask her how old my boy was. And I caught Helen's reflection in a mirror as she mouthed: He's two, rolled her eyes, and shook her head. It was a dreadful moment -- a reckoning, a realization of her judgment, her lack of empathy. I called her on it, eventually. But what was there, really, to say? She apologized profusely. I accepted that apology, but I knew that things would never be the same between us.
Helen was part of my learning curve
相关单词：gut
gut解释：n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏
gut例句：
It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。
相关单词：scooped
scooped解释：v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）
scooped例句：
They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：realization
realization解释：n.实现；认识到，深刻了解
realization例句：
We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。
相关单词：judgment
judgment解释：n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
judgment例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
相关单词：profusely
profusely解释：ad.abundantly
profusely例句：
We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture. 我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。
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