I went shopping for a graduation dress with Grace today. I felt a little rushed, but hopefully didn't let Grace feel it. In my head is a running list of all the things I need to do for the graduation party.
We went to Macys and found a dress that she loved, but it was a little tight. The clerk checked and found that another store, not near our house, had the dress in the size she needed. Deep breath. The clock ticks in my head. So we drove to Polaris, north of Columbus and north of the outerbelt.
The dress is beautiful on her. A simple white eyelet with ribbon straps and a silky white empire waist. An inch or so of white netting peeks out from the bottom of the dress.
Girls often wear white dresses because their graduation robes are white. The boys get the other school color. Grace's school colors are blue and white, so the boys will wear blue. A bright dress underneath white robes would definitely show.
As we were shopping, I tried so hard to remember my graduation dress -- for either high school or college. I couldn't picture my dresses at all.
I could remember my sister's dress. The one that hung in the closet waiting for her because she died the night before graduation. White cotton with a capped sleeve on the shoulder, pearl buttons on the bodice and a cotton bow on the back.
I told my heart to slow down and tried to push the memory of that other graduation dress from my mind.
This is totally different. This is my daughter, not my sister and she will walk across that stage on Sunday in her white robe with the eyelet dress underneath and sparkly silver shoes on her feet.
