My Two Dresses

Adam and I went to Goodwill today to look around.While we were there I saw things on the rack that I had donated.It was a bittersweet moment.A couple of months ago, I cleaned out my closet with old clothes and added it to clothes others had given me to donate. I wanted to donate some of the more professional clothing to a women's center, however since I had everything mixed together in two boxes, it was easier to give all the items to Goodwill. I know I should give to Desert Industries instead of Goodwill, however GW is closer and has more locations and is more frequented.

Seeing these items on the rack was bittersweet because I was happy I had cleaned out my closet but sad that I have such fond memories of the clothes. The first was a navy suit dress that I purchased years ago. It looked very professional and fit me nicely (then.) It was navy and off-white and when I wore it I felt like I was dressed for success. I added it to the giveaway pile because it fit me many moons ago.

The second item I saw on the rack was my Prom dress. I saw this dress while shopping with friends for Homecoming dresses in October 1992. I fell in love with it then, but the price was out of my budget. So I continued shopping and found a beautiful dress, which I still have in my dress-up/Halloween box, to wear to Homecoming. Months later, I was shopping for Prom and the dress was on clearance!!! It was now within budget and I bought it and wore it proudly to Prom. I had broken my ankle that year so I wore a beautiful cast on one leg. It was a perfect accessory to my dress (that was me being sarcastic.) I wore the dress again the next year when I attended another school's Prom. I even loaned it to a friend who wore it to one of her school dances. I was able to fit into it 8 years later and wore it to a church Christmas party. Seeing it on the rack at Goodwill brought back all these memories. I hung onto it in hopes that girls from church might want to borrow it or that one day my daughter would wear it. Since I still don't have a daughter, it would be over 30 years old before it would be worn by her.

My wish is that these two dresses bring the same joy they've brought me. A woman might wear the navy dress to an interview and get the job that she's been looking for.
A young woman can feel beautiful at her school dance. That is the joy that arrives from donating time, items, or money to charitable organizations. By giving we receive. By sharing, others can be blessed.