Sunday, October 18, 2009

Life is Short, Wear the Dress

This summer I bought a dress on impulse.
It was completely unrealistic.
But I came out of the dressing room with it over my arm,
and I marched up to the register.
My girlfriends raised their eyebrows with pleasure.

I said,
"I know. I'm never going to wear this.
Never.
But I'm going to buy it.
Because it makes me feel like a Princess when I put it on."

It hung in my closet for months.

Then early this month I had a wedding to attend.
Sadly, the husband had to back out.
Work.
I was depressed about attending alone.

I was standing in my closet in my underwear,
getting even more depressed because I couldn't find anything to wear,
and it was getting late.

Middle child walked in and innocently fingered the Princess Dress.
"Why don't you wear this?"

I explained to her that it was October,
and that dress was too skimpy,
and I'd have to wear sandals with it,
and it was just not the right dress for an October wedding.

The pile of castoff outfits on the bed started to grow.
I kept looking at the clock and getting more manic in my search
for something right.
I was growing more and more depressed about going to the wedding alone.
I got that familiar weepy feeling, sort of a
"boo-hoo I don't have anything to wear" thing
that only girls understand.

Middle child came in again and it felt like she was the grown-up.

"Mom, please, why don't you just wear the dress?"

I stopped and looked at the dress.
I thought about how I bought it
knowing I'd never have any reason to wear it.
I thought about how it felt when I put it on,
the soft fabric, the slinky feel of the skirt.

Something in me just kind of relaxed in one second.
I grabbed the dress and I put it on.
I strapped on the sandals.
I draped a black cover-up over my shoulders.

Middle child oohed and ahhed, and grinned at me.

The thought that had gone through my head,
is one that keeps returning to me since that night
when I swirled into the wedding, late,
slipped into the back row and crossed my legs.

Life is short,
Wear the dress.


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9 comments:

Beth said...

A+++

Great post! And you look gorgeous!

I'm so inspired because I have a wedding to attend this coming up weekend. Like you, I bought a dress I love and I haven't worn it yet. Too cold. Not for October. Now, I think I'm going to wear it.

Brian Miller said...

life is too short, not to live a bit...and to still play princess every now and then. smiles.

mrc-w said...

Love the dress!!! So glad you wore it too! :)

CiCi said...

Two good things going for you: Everyone at the wedding could see how great you looked and felt in that dress; and your husband knows what he missed.

Lisa Y. said...

Love it!! Super cute dress. And great life philosophy. Love you!

Michelle said...

Fabulous! And the skirt looks flow-y.

Karaeleanor said...

really great post, mom, and glad I could help :) have i ever mentioned to you that I love that dress?? You look great!

KEK

Heidi Lee said...

Awww, so glad you wore the dress. You are a doll!

kool kenna said...

awesome. i love it. :) you are gor-gous in dat dress dahlin'