North American

There are two kinds of parents, you know: perfect parents, and all the rest of us.

He will tell you that although his name is Leroy E. Peters, you can call him Pete. He will tell you that although he is 81 years old, he still likes to fly planes. But it is mostly what Pete does not say out loud, that rings in your ears like an unsung lyric of the Star-Spangled Banner.

A few days after delivering our healthy 7 pounds, 3-ounce baby, I lost all desire to eat, as a vice-like knot in my stomach surfaced and quickly took control of my life. I was a disciplined, organized, and logical woman.

There is a fat little girl who lives inside of me. She has been there since the third grade when Bobby Winters told her she was fat in front of her whole class. Since she was made fun of and ridiculed time and time again for being chubby.

Having enjoyed a close relationship with my own father, I made a conscious decision that I wanted a husband, not a live-in boyfriend, and not a “baby’s daddy,” when it came my time to mate and marry. My time never came.