Enthusiastically, Dawn

Today marks one month since I found my sweet baby girl asleep, without life in her body. An incomprehensible reality no parent would hope upon hope never to ever believe would be theirs. But this IS our reality. As we continue to wait for answers that are yet forthcoming, I find comfort in turning to the past and trying to remember all the precious things that God has allowed us to experiece together. When there are no answers, we turn to a God who I am beginning to realize, maybe for the first time, is truly incomprehensible. Or as one of my favorite authors, Elisabeth Elliot has said, “If God was small enough to be understood, he wouldn’t be big enough to be God.”

This post today was from my earlier blogging days, I posted it in 2011, and again in 2012. Both my mom and daughter are no longer with us on this side of eternity as we walk into 2021. Originally titled The Magical Day, I offer up this priceless memory of mother, daugher, and grandmother.

It started out as an ordinary day. It was supposed to be one of those “productive me” days. The kind of day you know needs to happen because, it’s that time of year again. The word vacation has less power over me as the last few weeks of Summer have been squeezed slowly out of my planner pages.
That next month (September) keeps appearing as I plan the days ahead and all that needs to be done by D-Day (1st day of school). So with all this in my mind, of course I had my TO DOs for today completely mapped out. After all, I am, if nothing else, obsessively, compulsively organized. In a most disorganized way. At least on paper I look pretty organized, thanks to my Planner.
But somehow paper planning and reality have a way of missing each other and leaving me
miffed in the midst of it all.
Today that was a beautiful gift.

Today, my planner had not accounted for the magical day that would unfold, to my wonder and joy.
“Mom, will you please let me see your wedding dress?”
pleaded my daughter as she looked at me with what I call her Junior Mint eyes.

Um, I am thinking…not in the plan…warning, warning.
I flashback to Robot in “Lost In Space” (doesn’t take much for me).

She has become a fan of the program “Say Yes To The Dress” and she wanted to see how mine measured up. Until today it has been hanging in our garage.
It has been in the zipped tight gown bag since our honeymoon.
Today that gown emerged and made our mundane day a very magical one, indeed!
Of course, she wanted to try it on.
The excitement and pure glee my daughter displayed as she posed,
primped, giggled and posed some more were absolutely priceless.

It is amazing to me how a wedding gown makes every girl feel beautiful, precious and royal.
Like a princess. 
Special. 
Prized.

Princess Katherine Grace

Even if she is all or any of those things…there is something intoxicating,
wonderful and heady about a wedding dress. A wedding dress has the power to make the one wearing FEEL embraced by beauty. When I text-ed the pics to my hub, he almost had a stroke!
But my girl and I had a million laughs as our afternoon became magical. The day got more interesting later when my mom returned home and wanted to know why my dress was hanging in the hall.
After looking at the pictures we had taken, she mentioned her gown and I immediately (me being the Keeper of the Photos) retrieved her wedding photos to show Katherine.    

Mom poses with her Wedding Gown photos

You know, we never did make it out for all the errands.
But what my planner can’t show, my heart does reveal.
It is well with my soul. 

Today I had a plan.
I had my To Do Lists written.But today instead of my plans – 
I received a better thing.
A beautiful gift. A magical day…and for that I am thankful.

We topped our magical day off with an appropriate movie tonight: Cinderella! 
On my scale of great Mother/Daughter days, this one will go down as an M&M. Magical and Memorable!

The Dress on the Big Day!