{"id":319,"date":"2026-09-22T09:49:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/?p=319"},"modified":"2026-09-22T09:49:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:49:44","slug":"my-daughter-in-law-called-my-swimsuit-photo-disgusting-and-forbade-me-to-see-my-grandchildren-so-i-invited-her-to-dinner-and-let-the-kids-teach-her-a-lesson-shes-n","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/?p=319","title":{"rendered":"My daughter-in-law called my swimsuit photo \u201cdisgusting\u201d and forbade me to see my grandchildren \u2014 so I invited her to dinner and let the kids teach her a lesson she\u2019s never forgotten"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For most of my sixty-eight years, I saw my body as something to be hidden.<\/p>\n

I avoided mirrors, wore dark clothes, and wrapped myself in towels whenever George and I went to the beach. But during our trip for our forty-third wedding anniversary, my husband looked at me in a bright red swimsuit and told me that I was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.<\/p>\n

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See more<\/span><\/div>\n
Childcare<\/span><\/div>\n
Rings<\/span><\/div>\n
Family Law<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For once, I believed him.<\/p>\n

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A stranger photographed us by the ocean while George kissed me on the cheek. I was laughing, the sunset was shining behind us, and for the first time in decades, I wasn\u2019t hiding my belly or hiding my aging skin.<\/p>\n

Holidays and birthdays<\/div>\n

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I posted the photo online with a simple caption:<\/p>\n

\u201cForty-three years later, he still makes me feel beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next morning, I discovered a cruel comment from my daughter-in-law, Brittany.<\/p>\n

She called my body wrinkled, embarrassing, and disgusting.<\/p>\n

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The comment disappeared a few seconds later, but I had already taken a screenshot.<\/p>\n

When I called her calmly, expecting an apology, Brittany told me that I had humiliated the whole family. Then she announced that I was no longer allowed to see my grandchildren, because she didn\u2019t want them to think that women my age should behave like this.<\/p>\n

My heart broke.<\/p>\n

George wanted to confront our son immediately, but I stopped him.<\/p>\n

Design and visual arts<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t want screams, revenge, or a new family war.<\/p>\n

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Men\u2019s interests<\/span><\/div>\n
Astronomy<\/span><\/div>\n
Holidays and seasonal activities<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Instead, I printed out the screenshot, put on my favorite lipstick, and drove to Brittany\u2019s house with an invitation she couldn\u2019t easily refuse.<\/p>\n

She thought I had come to beg her.<\/p>\n

Little did she know that a week later, at my table, her own children would ask her a question that would force her to face a future she had never imagined.<\/p>\n

This photograph should never have caused a family crisis.<\/p>\n

Time and calendars<\/div>\n

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It was just a photo of an elderly couple standing by the ocean.<\/p>\n

George and I had been saving for almost a year for our birthday trip. We didn\u2019t stay at a luxury resort and we didn\u2019t eat at expensive restaurants. We rented a small room above a beachfront caf\u00e9, shared sandwiches on the balcony, and fell asleep listening to the waves hitting the rocks.<\/p>\n

It was perfect.<\/p>\n

On our last afternoon, George put a shopping bag on the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOpen it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside was a bright red swimsuit.<\/p>\n

I laughed nervously.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou bought the wrong size.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bought your size.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you bought it for the wrong woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

George\u2019s smile is gone.<\/p>\n

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He sat down next to me and took my hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cMargaret, you spent half of our marriage hiding pictures from yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not photogenic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy belly\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cHas borne our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy legs are covered with veins.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey have borne you by my side for forty-three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd those wrinkles?\u201d<\/p>\n

George gently touched my cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey prove that you stayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

My eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

No one had ever talked about my aging body that way, not even me.<\/p>\n

So I put on the swimsuit.<\/p>\n

At the beach, I kept reaching for the towel, but George kept pulling it away.<\/p>\n

Time and calendars<\/div>\n

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A young woman who was passing by offered to take a picture of us. George put his arm around my waist and kissed me on the cheek just as I started laughing.<\/p>\n

It was this photo.<\/p>\n

My belly was soft. My arms were wrinkled. My hair was blown in all directions by the wind.<\/p>\n

But George looked at me as if I were the only woman on the whole beach.<\/p>\n

That evening, I posted the photo online.<\/p>\n

\u201cForty-three years later, he still makes me feel beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Friends left kind messages. Some wrote that they hoped to one day have a wedding like ours.<\/p>\n

Then Brittany commented:<\/p>\n

Holidays and birthdays<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe really published that? No one wants to see an old, wrinkled body compressed into a bathing suit. It\u2019s humiliating. \u00bb<\/p>\n

I read it three times.<\/p>\n

Before I could respond, the comment disappeared.<\/p>\n

Brittany had probably wanted to send it privately to one of her friends.<\/p>\n

But I had already taken a screenshot.<\/p>\n

When we got home, I called her.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Brittany. How are you?<\/p>\n

She laughed coldly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo now, you\u2019re acting like everything is normal?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI saw your comment.<\/p>\n

There was a silence.<\/p>\n

Then his embarrassment turned to anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should never have published this photo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it was out of place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wore a swimsuit to the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are almost seventy years old.<\/p>\n

His words hit me harder than I could have imagined.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what does my age have to do with that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Design and visual arts<\/div>\n

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\u201cMy children saw this photo,\u201d she said. I don\u2019t want them to think it\u2019s okay to show off online.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not exhibit myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have humiliated our whole family.<\/p>\n

I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrittany, are you saying that I can\u2019t see Caleb and Lily anymore because of a picture?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what I\u2019m saying. Until you learn how to behave properly, stay away from them.<\/p>\n

Then she hung up.<\/p>\n

For several seconds, I sat with the phone pressed to my ear.<\/p>\n

George had heard it all.<\/p>\n

Time and calendars<\/div>\n

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\u201cCall Daniel,\u201d he said. Our son must know.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can\u2019t take us away from our grandchildren.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThen what are you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

I printed out the screenshot and folded it neatly.<\/p>\n

Then I put on lipstick.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will invite them to dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brittany opened the front door, but didn\u2019t invite me in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like you, Daniel, and the kids to come and dine with us on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI will wait for Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went out and closed the door behind her.<\/p>\n

Design et arts visuels<\/div>\n

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\u2014 Tu ne peux pas manipuler mon mari pour le monter contre moi.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je ne suis pas ici pour manipuler qui que ce soit.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 ce moment-l\u00e0, la voiture de Daniel est entr\u00e9e dans l\u2019all\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

Lorsqu\u2019il nous a vues, son expression a chang\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maman ? Qu\u2019est-ce qui s\u2019est pass\u00e9 ?<\/p>\n

Je lui ai tendu la capture d\u2019\u00e9cran.<\/p>\n

Il l\u2019a lue en silence.<\/p>\n

Puis il a regard\u00e9 sa femme.<\/p>\n

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\u2014 C\u2019est toi qui as \u00e9crit \u00e7a ?<\/p>\n

Heure et calendriers<\/div>\n

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Brittany a crois\u00e9 les bras.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je l\u2019ai supprim\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ce n\u2019\u00e9tait pas ma question.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Elle a publi\u00e9 une photo embarrassante !<\/p>\n

Daniel a de nouveau regard\u00e9 la photo.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ma m\u00e8re porte un maillot de bain.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Elle a l\u2019air ridicule !<\/p>\n

Le visage de mon fils s\u2019est durci.<\/p>\n

Avant que la dispute ne s\u2019intensifie, j\u2019ai lev\u00e9 la main.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je ne demande \u00e0 aucun de vous de choisir un camp. Je demande simplement \u00e0 la famille de d\u00eener ensemble.<\/p>\n

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Daniel a regard\u00e9 Brittany.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Nous serons l\u00e0.<\/p>\n

Le dimanche est arriv\u00e9, chaud et lumineux.<\/p>\n

Mes petits-enfants ont couru dans mes bras avant que Brittany puisse les en emp\u00eacher.<\/p>\n

Je les ai serr\u00e9s plus longtemps que d\u2019habitude.<\/p>\n

George faisait griller des hamburgers tandis que Daniel aidait \u00e0 mettre la table. Brittany \u00e9tait assise, raide, sur la terrasse, parlant \u00e0 peine.<\/p>\n

Apr\u00e8s le d\u00eener, j\u2019ai apport\u00e9 une grande bo\u00eete de photos de famille.<\/p>\n

Les enfants ont imm\u00e9diatement commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 les parcourir.<\/p>\n

Ils ont trouv\u00e9 Daniel \u00e0 six ans, d\u00e9guis\u00e9 en cow-boy, George avec d\u2019\u00e9pais cheveux noirs et moi enceinte dans une immense robe jaune.<\/p>\n

Grossesse et maternit\u00e9<\/div>\n

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Caleb a brandi une vieille photo de plage.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mamie, c\u2019est toi ?<\/p>\n

J\u2019ai hoch\u00e9 la t\u00eate.<\/p>\n

J\u2019avais trente-deux ans sur la photo et je tenais la main de Daniel tandis que les vagues se brisaient autour de nos jambes.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tu \u00e9tais diff\u00e9rente, a dit Lily.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Papi aussi, ai-je r\u00e9pondu.<\/p>\n

George a fi\u00e8rement montr\u00e9 son jeune visage.<\/p>\n

\u2014 J\u2019\u00e9tais extr\u00eamement beau.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tu l\u2019es toujours, lui ai-je dit.<\/p>\n

Il m\u2019a embrass\u00e9e sur le front.<\/p>\n

Les enfants ont ri.<\/p>\n

Puis j\u2019ai pos\u00e9 sur la table la r\u00e9cente photo en maillot de bain.<\/p>\n

Caleb l\u2019a prise.<\/p>\n

\u2014 C\u2019est celle de votre voyage d\u2019anniversaire !<\/p>\n

Heure et calendriers<\/div>\n

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\u2014 Oui.<\/p>\n

Il l\u2019a regard\u00e9e un moment.<\/p>\n

Brittany l\u2019observait avec anxi\u00e9t\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tu la trouves embarrassante ? ai-je demand\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Il a fronc\u00e9 les sourcils.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Pourquoi serait-elle embarrassante ?<\/p>\n

Brittany a boug\u00e9 nerveusement sur sa chaise.<\/p>\n

Lily s\u2019est pench\u00e9e au-dessus de l\u2019\u00e9paule de son fr\u00e8re.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Papi a l\u2019air vraiment heureux.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Il l\u2019\u00e9tait, ai-je dit.<\/p>\n

F\u00eates et anniversaires<\/div>\n

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Caleb a souri.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je trouve qu\u2019il te regarde comme si tu \u00e9tais une princesse.<\/p>\n

George a gliss\u00e9 sa main sous la table et a serr\u00e9 la mienne.<\/p>\n

Puis j\u2019ai d\u00e9pli\u00e9 la capture d\u2019\u00e9cran du commentaire de Brittany et je l\u2019ai plac\u00e9e \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de la photo.<\/p>\n

Les enfants l\u2019ont lue en silence.<\/p>\n

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L\u2019expression de Caleb a chang\u00e9 en premier.<\/p>\n

\u2014 C\u2019est maman qui a \u00e9crit \u00e7a ?<\/p>\n

Le visage de Brittany est devenu p\u00e2le.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Caleb, les adultes disent parfois des choses quand ils sont contrari\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mais mamie n\u2019a rien fait de mal.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Non, mais\u2026<\/p>\n

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Il l\u2019a interrompue avec une question qui a r\u00e9duit toute la table au silence.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maman, quand tu seras vieille et rid\u00e9e, est-ce que papa devra avoir honte de toi aussi ?<\/p>\n

Brittany l\u2019a fix\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Lily a regard\u00e9 Daniel.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Est-ce que papa arr\u00eatera de prendre des photos avec maman quand elle sera vieille ?<\/p>\n

Daniel a lentement secou\u00e9 la t\u00eate.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jamais.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alors pourquoi papi devrait-il arr\u00eater d\u2019aimer le corps de mamie ?<\/p>\n

Brittany a port\u00e9 sa main \u00e0 sa bouche.<\/p>\n

Je m\u2019attendais \u00e0 ce qu\u2019elle se d\u00e9fende, se mette en col\u00e8re ou d\u00e9clenche une nouvelle dispute.<\/p>\n

Design et arts visuels<\/div>\n

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\u00c0 la place, des larmes sont apparues dans ses yeux.<\/p>\n

Elle a de nouveau regard\u00e9 la photographie, non pas mon ventre ou mes jambes, mais le visage de George.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je suis d\u00e9sol\u00e9e, a-t-elle murmur\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Je suis rest\u00e9e silencieuse.<\/p>\n

Elle s\u2019est tourn\u00e9e vers moi.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je passe tellement de temps \u00e0 m\u2019inqui\u00e9ter de mon apparence. Chaque photo, chaque angle, chaque ride pr\u00e8s de mes yeux. Quand je t\u2019ai vue publier cette photo sans aucune honte\u2026 Elle a d\u00e9gluti. Je crois que je d\u00e9testais le fait que tu aies quelque chose que je n\u2019avais pas.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Quoi donc ?<\/p>\n

\u2014 La libert\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Heure et calendriers<\/div>\n

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Sa confession a adouci quelque chose en moi.<\/p>\n

Mais le pardon n\u2019effa\u00e7ait pas les cons\u00e9quences.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tu ne m\u2019as pas seulement insult\u00e9e, ai-je dit. Tu as failli apprendre \u00e0 tes enfants que les femmes deviennent honteuses lorsqu\u2019elles vieillissent.<\/p>\n

Brittany a essuy\u00e9 ses joues.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je sais.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Et tu les as utilis\u00e9s pour me punir.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je sais.<\/p>\n

Caleb nous a regard\u00e9es tour \u00e0 tour.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Est-ce que cela signifie que mamie peut venir nous voir \u00e0 nouveau ?<\/p>\n

Brittany a pris ma main.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mamie n\u2019aurait jamais d\u00fb \u00eatre interdite de visite.<\/p>\n

Trois semaines plus tard, Brittany est arriv\u00e9e chez nous avec un paquet emball\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 l\u2019int\u00e9rieur se trouvait un grand album photo.<\/p>\n

La premi\u00e8re page contenait ma photo de plage.<\/p>\n

En dessous, elle avait \u00e9crit :<\/p>\n

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\u00ab La photo qui a appris \u00e0 notre famille que l\u2019amour ne devient pas honteux avec l\u2019\u00e2ge. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Les pages restantes \u00e9taient vides.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Je pensais que nous pourrions les remplir ensemble, a-t-elle dit.<\/p>\n

L\u2019\u00e9t\u00e9 suivant, toute notre famille est retourn\u00e9e sur la m\u00eame plage.<\/p>\n

Brittany portait elle aussi un maillot de bain.<\/p>\n

Au d\u00e9but, elle ne cessait de ramener un par\u00e9o autour d\u2019elle.<\/p>\n

Puis Lily a pris sa main et lui a dit :<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maman, tu n\u2019as pas besoin de te cacher.<\/p>\n

George s\u2019est pench\u00e9 vers moi.<\/p>\n

\u2014 On dirait que quelqu\u2019un lui a bien appris la le\u00e7on.<\/p>\n

Une inconnue a propos\u00e9 de prendre une photo de toute notre famille.<\/p>\n

Cette fois, personne ne s\u2019est plac\u00e9 derri\u00e8re quelqu\u2019un d\u2019autre.<\/p>\n

Personne n\u2019a cach\u00e9 son ventre.<\/p>\n

Personne ne s\u2019est excus\u00e9 de prendre de la place.<\/p>\n

Et lorsque l\u2019appareil photo a d\u00e9clench\u00e9, Brittany riait \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de moi, comprenant enfin que vieillir n\u2019\u00e9tait pas quelque chose que les femmes devaient craindre.<\/p>\n

C\u2019\u00e9tait quelque chose que nous avions m\u00e9rit\u00e9.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most of my sixty-eight years, I saw my body as something to be hidden. I avoided mirrors, wore dark…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=319"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":321,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions\/321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}