MY DAUGHTER: THE DÉBUTANTE QUEEN

Early this morning my daughter shared this dream with me that she had during the night:

She dreamed that I (her own mother) was MAKING her be a contestant in a débutante pageant.  She was furious with me because of it.  We showed up at this community center event with only thirty minutes to spare.  The other girls (the ones in the elegant, long, flowing gowns) were already lined up.  She took her place in line, AS A DÉBUTANTE,  sporting a red fuzzy vest with a long sleeve black t underneath and black leggings, but not before she touched up the bright orange polish that was chipped on her big toe nails that were sticking out of her black stilettos. (Like anyone would have gotten past the outfit to notice the chipped polish on her toe nails!)

Hahaha! You can't make this stuff up!!!

We laughed ourselves silly.

She told me the reason for the dream HAD to be because of a childhood memory; one she cannot keep suppressed; one that involves a hideous homemade cheerleader outfit and a homecoming court.  Let me explain. Briefly.

During her early elementary years she attended a private Christian school.  The dress code was extremely strict.  She was a cheerleader (along with her entire class of 10 or so) for the basketball team.  Their outfits were quite pathetic to say the least. Because of the school's strict dress code, everything these poor kids wore looked as if they were four or five sizes too big for them including the cheerleader outfit.  They  consisted of  over sized yellow sweatshirts and royal blue, homemade, as-ugly-as-you-can-get, below-the-knees, baggy culottes.

She and I attended this homecoming game together.  The second we entered the gymnasium a staff member "swooped" down on her desperately needing a "favor".  It appeared that one of the court members, the homecoming queen possibly (I can't remember) had gotten very ill at the last minute and was not able to attend.  She asked begged my daughter to fill in.  I still remember watching my daughter agonize over the decision.  She felt honored that they would ask her (what she did not realize was that the other two class mates who were also NOT a member of the court and who had also come dressed to cheer, had already said NO!!!) (Don't really know if this happened, just guessing!!) She also knew that the "sore thumb" sticking out of the "court" would be her.

Her one and maybe only chance for Cinderella-ism, only without the fairy god-mother, carriage, ball gown, or glass slippers.   

Can you imagine a mother allowing her precious little girl who LOVED to dress up in everything fancy to escort a homecoming king dressed in a suit and tie (who evidently could not walk without a girl on his arm) down the court in front of thousands hundreds OK tens of people dressed in a poorly homemade, over sized, down right UGLY cheerleader suit, tennis shoes, and white socks along side all the other "queens" in their ball gowns??  And did I mention that it was raining cats and dogs that evening.  We were both drenched.  

Well I can!

And I did!

And have pictures to prove it.  

Oh boy, is hind sight not 20-20 or what??

No wonder she is, 16 years later, still having nightmares!

Poor girl!

At least we can still laugh about it.

And laugh we did!!

And laughing with her is a good thing.

A very very good thing!!