One hot summer day, I was wearing my favorite swimsuit and was ready to enjoy the pool. Karen, noticing me, laughed, “Old lady, you can’t wear that, hide your wrinkles! Hide your wrinkles!”

Her words struck me deeply. I pretended to sunbathe, hiding my tears, but I was determined not to let her humiliate me. So I took out an album of her wedding photos. Her friends’ interest was piqued and Karen blushed with embarrassment. “Mary, this is inappropriate,” she hissed. I smiled: “We all have humble beginnings.”

The atmosphere changed; Karen’s friends saw her differently. Later, when my son learned about the incident, he understood my pain. Karen became calmer, her arrogance faded. My son made sure that such behavior would not be repeated.