On a sunny Southern afternoon, two well-dressed women sat on the wide porch of a magnificent estate with white pillars. The light shined through the trees as they drank tea that was so good it adhered to the glass and their souls.
The first lady smiled with joy as she glanced out over the vast yard. She had on soft pastels and pearls.
She nodded in agreement and said, “My husband built me this beautiful mansion when our first child was born.” She glanced at the well-kept grass as if it were a gift from her family.
The second woman, who looked just as sophisticated but had a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, grinned and said, “Well, isn’t that nice?”
The first woman kept talking since her friend was courteous. “Then, when our second child was born, he got me that nice Cadillac that you saw out front.”
“That’s nice, isn’t it?” The second lady spoke again, and her voice was as smooth as molasses.
“And when our third came along,” the first lady added, extending her wrist with pride, “he got me this beautiful diamond bracelet. It really does reflect the light.
The second lady spoke her famous words again: “Well, isn’t that nice?”
The first woman, who was immediately fascinated, tilted her head. “Tell me, what did your husband give you when you had your first child?”
With a sly smile on her lips, the second woman leaned in and added, “He sent me to charm school.”
“School of Charm?” What does it do?
The second lady straightened her back, drank some tea, and said, “I learnt to say, “Well, isn’t that nice?” instead of “Who cares?”
There was a lot of laughing on the porch.
Their talk turned more intimate later that afternoon, when the sun started to fall and they made more tea.
One of them said, “You know, we’ve been friends for a long time, but I never asked what happened to your son.” She moved about in her wicker chair.
“Oh, my poor boy,” her friend said softly, her voice full of anguish. “His marriage is a complete disaster.” He got a female who won’t help out around the house. She stays in bed all day, sleeping, reading, and doing nothing. And get this: he makes her breakfast in bed every morning.
The other individual shook her head and said, “That’s awful.”
“But what about my daughter?” The woman kept talking, and her voice got better. “Oh, she’s really lucky. She married a man from heaven. He tells her to relax. He doesn’t want her to do anything. He wakes her up every morning with breakfast in bed, lets her sleep in, and tells her not to worry about anything.
Her friend stopped for a while, blinked, and then said with a knowing smile, “Well, isn’t that nice?”
It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it.