Monday, February 26, 2007

The Dress

I bought it with my friend's encouragment. I may not get to wear it. Out. I may not get to wear the dress out in public. Man, I look good in that dress. Sort of Audrey Hepburn. If she were to ever have a nightmare and end up glistening sweat in the Houston suburbs on a warm summer night. But I can put it on and dance around the living room with the girls. "Mama, you look pretty." "Yeah, Baby, I do." A girl should know when she looks pretty. All girls. Any age.

So maybe no smiles over candlelight. No gazes through eyelashes. The hope of that seems too much. But maybe I'll flop across my bed after I tuck in those little angels and sleep in it and dream something fantastic. It's only ebroidered cotton. God, I love what it means. Belted. Sleeveless. Gathered. Knee-length. Sexy. Independent. Flirty. Pretty. This dress screams "can you help me with this zipper?" Damn. I look good in it, too. Even glistening sweat. Especially like that. Southern, suburban Audrey Hepburn. I'm out in it. In my dreams anyway.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Love



Here is my daughter Eleanor. This is her as flower girl. She looks so smitten with the idea of weddings and white dresses and looking pretty on a perfect day. I hope that as she grows I am able to prepare her for more than a perfect day. I hope that I can help her to become a woman who knows herself well enough to wait for her Compliment. Her truly better half. For a man who encourages her to be more of herself with him than less of herself. I pray for her a man who loves her with all that is in him. A man who has passion enough to fight with her and make up with her. A man who respects her mind enough to know she could win any fight. I pray she finds love to meet her love. As this silly holiday approaches, I hope she never gives up as she stands in front of the vast selection of cards. I hope she always has love and her love always has words. Even if her love is too big for words.