The Day Mom Almost Liked Shopping
There aren't a lot of stories about my mom and I shopping. Mostly because my mom was not a fan of shopping. She was not the type to be bored and then beeline for a mall. If she had to buy an outfit for an event, she was going to complain about it more than a little bit before actually leaving the house to go search for it.
My cousin got married last October. Mom and I both needed to get something to wear. We decided we were going to go and get something for each of us that made us feel fabulous. I talked her into going to stores that were probably outside of her comfort zone because I promised her that if she was willing to try something new, I would too. We deserved to feel good in what we had on so that we could just be comfortable and enjoy the event. I may have bribed her with the promise of dinner, my treat.
We went to a few stores and decided to try White House Black Market. I found several somethings for me and settled on an outfit that cost me entirely too much money, but as I didn't look at the price tag, or the total before handing over my card, I didn't care. It was perfect. I felt like we were on a roll. We were having fun. Shopping. My mom and I were shopping and we were having FUN. This was a once in a lifetime thing. She hadn't sulked or kicked anything once. So we continued on.
We struck out at a couple more stores, but I had kept my promise, that we would do a quick lap to see if there was anything that looked promising, and if nothing caught our eye, I wouldn't make her dig through racks or try anything on. Since I had kept my word, she had kept up her good spirits. We were talking and carrying on like we usually did about everything and anything as we went along. I think it helped her forget what we were actually doing. We ended up at a department store and she had found a few things she liked. But they were the same things she always gravitated towards. I asked her to please have a little faith in me and try something different on. It was still in her comfort zone in color, but maybe a little different in cut. I promised it didn't look like much on the hanger, but it would look different if she would give it a shot in the dressing room. She argued with me some. She might have stomped once, even. But I asked her to trust me. So she took it along with her other picks and tried them all on. She was shocked when she tried on my pick. She loved it. She hated that it was sleeveless, but she loved everything else about it and we bought it. She was pretty sure Gram had something in white she could wear over it so she was even happier.
I ended up convincing her to go to a shoe store afterwards. We did not luck out there. But we had somehow spent hours shopping, both of us had wedding clothes and my mom had survived. It was a damn good day!
Fast forward to the wedding day and it was beautiful! It was loud and fun and busy. And as usual, Mom and I were talking and laughing and I hardly took any pictures. Because I tend to live my moments instead of capture them. But today I opened my email and found one my Dad had sent and there was a picture of my sister, mom and I all in our wedding finery. So I have a picture to help remember the day I bribed my mom into spending hours walking in and out of stores with me. I have a picture of us together in the clothes I bought for us, the clothes that made us feel like a million bucks so we weren't busy pulling on skirts or picking at things because we just made old clothes work. I have something of us together, proof that I talked my beautiful 61 year old mum into a sleeveless dress for her goddaughter's wedding. And I am so, so, so glad that moment was captured. So happy that this photo exists. That I can remember that day. That I can share that memory. And so damn glad I conned her into that dress.
My cousin got married last October. Mom and I both needed to get something to wear. We decided we were going to go and get something for each of us that made us feel fabulous. I talked her into going to stores that were probably outside of her comfort zone because I promised her that if she was willing to try something new, I would too. We deserved to feel good in what we had on so that we could just be comfortable and enjoy the event. I may have bribed her with the promise of dinner, my treat.
We went to a few stores and decided to try White House Black Market. I found several somethings for me and settled on an outfit that cost me entirely too much money, but as I didn't look at the price tag, or the total before handing over my card, I didn't care. It was perfect. I felt like we were on a roll. We were having fun. Shopping. My mom and I were shopping and we were having FUN. This was a once in a lifetime thing. She hadn't sulked or kicked anything once. So we continued on.
We struck out at a couple more stores, but I had kept my promise, that we would do a quick lap to see if there was anything that looked promising, and if nothing caught our eye, I wouldn't make her dig through racks or try anything on. Since I had kept my word, she had kept up her good spirits. We were talking and carrying on like we usually did about everything and anything as we went along. I think it helped her forget what we were actually doing. We ended up at a department store and she had found a few things she liked. But they were the same things she always gravitated towards. I asked her to please have a little faith in me and try something different on. It was still in her comfort zone in color, but maybe a little different in cut. I promised it didn't look like much on the hanger, but it would look different if she would give it a shot in the dressing room. She argued with me some. She might have stomped once, even. But I asked her to trust me. So she took it along with her other picks and tried them all on. She was shocked when she tried on my pick. She loved it. She hated that it was sleeveless, but she loved everything else about it and we bought it. She was pretty sure Gram had something in white she could wear over it so she was even happier.
I ended up convincing her to go to a shoe store afterwards. We did not luck out there. But we had somehow spent hours shopping, both of us had wedding clothes and my mom had survived. It was a damn good day!
Fast forward to the wedding day and it was beautiful! It was loud and fun and busy. And as usual, Mom and I were talking and laughing and I hardly took any pictures. Because I tend to live my moments instead of capture them. But today I opened my email and found one my Dad had sent and there was a picture of my sister, mom and I all in our wedding finery. So I have a picture to help remember the day I bribed my mom into spending hours walking in and out of stores with me. I have a picture of us together in the clothes I bought for us, the clothes that made us feel like a million bucks so we weren't busy pulling on skirts or picking at things because we just made old clothes work. I have something of us together, proof that I talked my beautiful 61 year old mum into a sleeveless dress for her goddaughter's wedding. And I am so, so, so glad that moment was captured. So happy that this photo exists. That I can remember that day. That I can share that memory. And so damn glad I conned her into that dress.
Comments
But she usually also wore it for the next class reunion, or for Pa's Reunions.
I am sad, Lisa won't be helping us for any more of our class reunions. But she will be there in SPIRIT!!
Of approximately 356 classmates, she was our 36 we have lost. Each one is now an angel watching over us. In 2015, at the 40th class reunion, one of our classmates brought candles for each who have passed away. So in thinking of a flame, all of those who have passed on, are an ember of the big flame of all of us.
Love you Diane