1968
As Will's graduation from med school nears
His mom surprises me with a surprise shopping spree to
Buy a dress as 'befitting a doctor's wife', and
When she takes me to a certain shop where
Dresses and gowns are carried into
Our fitting room rather than being displayed on
Racks for everyone to see, I feel so much like
A fairy tale princess that I can barely breathe
Once the 'right' dress has been slipped over my head
I gaze at my reflection in the mirror and
Actually gasp with pleasure (because, as you may
Remember, my wedding dress was borrowed, suggesting
That such a fuss about my attire has not been made since
My mom and I'd chosen a gown for my senior prom); then
Upon glancing at the price tag, my sparkle sags, because
This beautiful coat and dress ensemble, woven of
Gossamer threads, is far too costly to ever be mine; however
Will's mom sees today's purchase differently, and after
Explaining, definitively, that this special occasion calls for
Splurging, she removes the tag from my hand while
Telling her favorite sales lady that
We've made our choice, so please wrap it up, and
Guess what?
That beautiful ensemble, which still fits as perfectly as
The day it floated home with me, can be seen
in the back of my closet, where historical finery that
I can't part with, exists to this very today
And each time I happen upon that ensemble or
The gowns in which I danced at my sons' Bar Mitzvot
Or the Scarlett O'Hara gown, worn while escorting
Steven down the aisle when my son wedded Celina ...
My lips wear a dopamine smile as had been true
On each of those memorable occasions when
I, dressed in all my finery, watched my loved ones
Accept their well earned rewards, and since
Four grueling years of medical studies had won
Dr. Will a surgical internship that offered this
Nose-to-the-grindstone-kind-of-man
A salary, small as it had proved to be, while
I'd enjoyed another year of being paid to inspire
Ten year olds to find learning FUN
Will and I both felt ready and thus
Eager to make a baby of our own ... except for this glitch:
Our plan to do what comes naturally
Did not go as planned, suggesting it necessary to
Tweak our plan in such a way as to
Entice Mother Nature to get on board without further delay!
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