My Big Foot

It happened like this: 

I had been with some friends and all of our kids were playing.  My daughter was one of the older ones and the other kids were a bit younger.  There was another girl and she just really stood out, sort of like Bella has, in that magnificent kind of way.  So I go to the mom to pay her a compliment.  Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Me:  Sally really reminds me so much of Bella when she was a young girl.
Other Mom:  Oh yeah.
Me:  Yeah she is just so good, tries so hard to do what is right, very helpful, etc...[a list of compliments about her daughter]
Other Mom:  Thank you.  Sally really is pretty remarkable.  Everyday I am amazed.
Me:  Yeah, hopefully someday she (Sally) grows up to be as good as Bella.

Crap - insert ginormous foot in mouth.  I was doing so good and then blammo, AWKWARD.

Okay so really the inverse of this happened: TO ME.  Some other woman actually said that to me.  She was paying me these compliments about how great Bella was and then said, "Hopefully someday she grows up to be as good as my daughter."  Yeah it really was awkward.  I tried really hard not to laugh because I really don't think this mother realized what she had said.  But I could totally see myself saying something I assumed was innocuous, but really wasn't. 

Was I offended? 
No way. 
Will I probably tell this story another half a dozen times in my life? 
You bet because I still smile when I think about how awkward it was. 

Here's to all the times we all stick our big feet in our tiny mouths.  Okay my mouth is pretty big I must admit, not Julia Roberts big but for many years I could stick my fist in it.  But upon trying just now I can no longer so maybe I am growing into my mouth.  Hey I said maybe!