I usually don’t think about the posts that I have written years ago until something springs into focus but this morning, my post and memory from years ago came forth without provocation. I thought I would share this post but end with a reflection of a thought resulting from this memory.
Here is the original thought and post from 2014.
TODAY THE WORDS are RED POLKA DOTS. It seems I wake up one morning with serious topics on my mind and the next morning, I wake up with a humorous thought. So the story of Red Polka Dots is the theme for today. Several times during the course of writing this blog, I have shared the fact I didn’t come from wealth; as a matter of fact, we were not even among the “current” middle class. Our family did the best we could but we didn’t have extra money, so hand me down clothes were a good thing. Our aunts would give us clothes from their older children and then we would go through the process ourselves. My sister’s clothes were handed down to me and I always joke when someone kidded us about me being taller and having a larger frame than my sister. Look, I said we were close to being poor; I didn’t say I wasn’t smart. I just grew faster to avoid having to wear hand me downs. Back to the red polka dot story…..Mom saved some money and found some pretty polka dot material and made BOTH of us an Easter dress. Oh yes, I was walking in high cotton and probably strutted in MY new dress. Mine, it was mine and it was new and oh, how I loved my dress. It was white background with red polka dots and did I say it was mine? I wore it with pride and as often as I could. It wasn’t long before I grew out of it and then it happened……I had to wear the one Mom had made for my sister. What? Hand me down on the dress I loved so much, how could that be? It was not even funny to me at the time, but as the years go by, it has become hilarious. The difference is how I would handle the same situation today. I would continue to “strut” as no one would notice, if I had kept my mouth shut. It was me who let the cat out of the bag and I should have appreciated the fact I could keep wearing a pretty red polka dot dress. How we learn in life to make the most of an awkward situation! Life can be an emotional roller coaster or we can decide to enjoy the ride. We can laugh; we can overcome our fears; we can shout with joy; and we can cry from the sad times. What became important to me is that it isn’t what we are dealing with today; it is the privilege of living life to the fullest. God gives us polka dots to see the colors of the rainbows He makes.
2022 Note from Arline Miller, blogger: As time goes by and we get older, our priorities change and our positions of the focus of life are repositioned. We care about different things such as family, security, homes, communities, and such nuances as fashion diminish in ranking. I had an elderly man who I worked with make a statement when an acquaintance of mine visited to make an observation which I took offense when he said, “Those sensible shoes make her look older.” He was speaking from a man’s view of how women’s legs looked in high heels not from the comfort and safety of wearing practical shoes. Today, I laugh as I have many beautiful high heel shoes packed away for what reason I don’t have a clue since I am happy to be in the “sensible shoes” era. Dotted Swiss is pretty and it is a happy memory just like sensible shoes.
FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
James 1:17 ESV
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
(c) copyright 2012-2022 Arline Lott Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and Reinvention Queen. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission. Third party material is sourced to original source/location, if known, for credit reference.
