I’d been seeing the advertisements for Mom Prom for the last few years. I think my first thought was, “Who even goes to those? Ladies stuck in 1982?”

The next year, I saw my email too late. I think this time I thought, “Actually, that sounds kinda fun!”

I went down memory lane. Boy was I lucky! I got asked, as a mere sophomore, to prom by a handsome Senior!!

And he asked me to prom like no girl deserves. I came home from school to a trailer filled with huge wavy balloons, a dozen roses,

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

AND an adorable fluffy teddy bear!!🐻 Complete with a banner, ✨”Will you go to prom with me?” ✨I am so embarrassed that I was so L-A-M-E! I made an 8 by 10 inch paper, not poster, in his locker, colored somewhat cute I suppose saying “Yes!” 🎈🎈🎈 I am sure I drew some balloons. (No actual fun real balloons.)

Then, what possessed me to think I didn’t need to go dress shopping? “Oh, I’ll make due, we have this shiny satin puff sleeves 80’s dress! (This was the mid 90’s). I’ll just use it!” And when I put the back insert in, why did I not think to take in the seams, the thing was at least 2 sizes too big!! (I’m so sorry Randy, no balloons, or a proper dress!!)

The next year, Jr. Prom, I didn’t get to play my lucky girl song. But I did mope in our tree house, gazing through leaves and branches to the beautiful bright blue sky with wet eyes and prayers, wishing at least my Dad would ask me for a Daddy daughter date that night. I didn’t however drop any hints to Mom or Dad about this little hope, nor pray it true. Surprisingly, no one read my mind, and hence the Jr. Prom gap. Really the memory itself is tragically romantic, I LOVE tree houses, that tree, and God hearing me through disappointment, so much!

For Senior year, I got to play the Amy Grant song again! “Baby I’m the lucky one!” I was called to the office with a fun sweet Easter basket!! Chris, if I just replied “yes”, as was in my memory, please forgive me!! I had no prom etiquette coaching from home! Prom counsel neglect. I truly thank you for the wonderful evening and experience for my senior year! I find that there are no words to describe how much it means that gentleman like Chris Peterson, help a girl be a princess for a night. Their poor wallets. Oh, the gift.

What fun we all had with Jordan and Andie as well as my best friend living in AZ who brought her great friend, another Chris!

This little black dress, dropped from the sky, into our van. “This has promise.” I tried on the black velvet and tafetta dress I found on the floor in there. “Can I use this dress for prom, Mom?” “Where did it come from?” I guess the bounds are limitless to a messy family van floor.

“I bought it at a garage sale for 50 cents for the costume box. Sure!!” was her reply.

Thinking back, its sweet times like these, that I remember that I am born of Heavenly Parents. And in particular, I know that my Heavenly Mother LOVES to nail down details like this, dirt cheap perfect fitting prom dresses.

Fast forward to 2024. I heard about the dance in time! Not enough time to gather a group. Riley and I had a really bad finance month, but I knew a dear and gracious friend, who had offered our daughter to borrow a dress earlier this year, and I wondered if that invitation could extend toward me, and Mom Prom. Under normal circumstances, I could go rent a fancy dress if I wanted to go fancy, as Mom Prom standards have a range of acceptable. But it meant so much to me to look at many dresses, all of which had already passed the scrutiny for modesty and loveliness, and all bought with much love and sacrifice too. And for free. I hadn’t realized till my adult years, that it was actually a loss for me, to not go dress shopping. To go choose a beautiful extravagant dress. There was a loss that I never knew was there, which was now being met! Happy day!!!

Elizabeth was one of my best friends in high school too. She was the most divine, feminine, ambitious hardworking, cutely flerty and extremely kind and charitable people, with a ready sense of humor, that I have ever met.

As I began trying on dresses, it was like playing that game “Bigger and Better”. Like two giddy school girls again, I was offered first a lovely creamy pale yellow gown, made of elegant lace. When I put it on, I was amazed at how even cuter it was!! It was flawless. I was done looking.

“How about this red dress?” Elizabeth asked.

“Gasp…..beautiful!!! ….Oh but, it will be too long.” I replied.

“Try it on with my heels,” offered Elizabeth. I actually had no tall beautiful heels myself.

“Oh my…Oh, oh my.” Sooooo beautiful. The back had had a tailoring seamstress expertly put in precisely matching fabric and hidden clasps. There was an optional bolero which the dress didn’t need, but that added a sweet touch. My friend offered pearls that matched this lovely satin bolero. The gown had a jewel piece at the empire waist, that she pointed out that we could find earrings for. NOW, I was set. ✨

When I mentioned the dresses I would try on would all be modest before, I realized now what care, what time in shopping and finding a tailor, what cost, what taste, what thought and what work, this fact was about all of their dresses.

“Wait just a minute.” I’m looking for our favorite dress. Aha! Here it is!” She told me the story of its purchase and I looked upon it in absolute awe. As I tried it on, I felt I couldn’t borrow their very best, finest dress. I really felt, I just couldn’t. But it was truly not a question for Elizabeth. She wanted me to walk out with the best dress of all. And it didn’t stop there, she set me up with stunning jewelry, and her son had a tie of the exact color, that she called him to see if Riley could borrow, and he agreed so kindly. I had had, SOOO much fun, and my heart was BRIM full from the character of steel, roses and lace that my friend Elizabeth is.

“You’ll be the bell of the ball!” she told me in her kind affectionate way. “You bet!”, I replied.

Her home is a sacred place of godly teaching, order, laughter, service and love. She has the dignity and integrity of angels and mountains. She has vision and ability to create something spectacular, because she invites and sacrifices for worship, daily. She believes in all she can’t see, she learns to pave a road, by He who guides her to lay stone by stone, where to find them, and how to do it. As I walked out her door with this uniquely fun experience, I also walked out inspired by her.

❤️❤️❤️

It happened to be our 21st Anniversary. So its a lovely time to remember, that because he was so shy, and because I was uniquely eager or distant, we were each other’s first kiss! The handsomest man I ever did meet…

To be continued….

Sincerely,

Emmy Gay