On Friday I was called a slut. There were other things happening at the time of course, but this is the part of it that I want to address. It wasn't from Mac, that would be a different story. When Mac calls me His slut, it is done with love and what He means by it is that I would do anything for Him and with Him. It is never meant to degrade or make me feel less than Him.

But on Friday when I was called a slut by someone else and that is exactly what they meant to do. This man, (if I can call him a man) is kind of a relative by marriage. He is my sister’s husband’s brother, her brother in law and while I do not directly have all that much to do with him, I have known him since I was a child and so was he. My sister and her husband have been together 21 years. He is a year younger than me.

The reason that he called me a slut is not all that important. In fact, I fail to see a reason why he did it. A discussion was taking place in which I disagreed with him, but I did not do it violently or with malice intent. I just politely told him why I did not agree. He decided to take offence at what I said and instead of offering me an alternate argument, a reason for feeling the way he did, he called me a slut, then called my sister one too, as if that won the argument for him.

He seemed to be saying "you are a slut and your sister is a slut, therefore I am right." I have given it a lot of thought over the weekend because it affected me badly, and the only thing I can say to that is that it is very weak and cowardly, at best. It is a tact that a child might take, a child that doesn't understand the slur he is making. It is not something an adult male needs to sink to. If you cannot back up the claims you are making, resorting to name calling as a defence is just cowardly. It is just low. His own wife said she could find no excuse for what he said. She told him that there was nothing he could say to make it right. He isn't sorry though. He thinks he is still in the right. He thinks it is perfectly ok to call us names. What are we going to do about it?

The truth is nothing. His own brother, my sister's husband wants to punch him, but won't because it will just further divide a family now in trouble. My husband, well, let's just say Mac would like to tell him his future. He says it wouldn't take long, a minute at most, but he wont because it is my sister’s family and Mac would not do that to her either. This guy thinks he has gotten clean away with it.

But he hasn't. Not really. His wife saw him at his lowest point and she will always know now that the weakness is there. I saw him at his lowest point and know that what he said spoke volumes about him, not me. My sister saw him at his lowest point and she does not easily forget. He will not be welcome at their house for a long time to come. His brother and my husband saw him for the weak pathetic man he is. He will never be more in their eyes. There will come a time when that counts.

I know when it happens, I won't gloat about it. I will just feel sorry for his family.

Maybe one day he will grow up. One day.