Dressing-Room Sermon

I found a shirt-style swimsuit top for Kate at Target (gotta have one for avoiding sunburns). We went to have her try it on in the dressing rooms when this little number fell out from underneath. Apparently it was part of the set. "Mom, look what fell out." This little string- bikini-top-for-my-five-year-old disturbed me on some deep level. I was livid. Usually in a dressing room I try to keep my own voice down and the voices of my children down for the benefit of the other guests. But this time the mama-bear in me came out. Anyone privileged enough to be in the dressing room at that time heard well and clear my feelings about bikinis and little girls the greater contexts of modesty and feminism and...actually I didn't get that carried away, but I wanted to.