Dec 12, 2016 3 min read

Much of my Christmas shopping is already done. My eldest has asked for new tires for her car – a sure sign of her impending adulthood – and Ramen noodles – a sure sign that there is still a kid in there, too. My middle girl made a “wish list” on Amazon that allowed me to pick and choose items that I know she will love and that I can also live with. My youngest is a challenge this year, but the likelihood is great that a new bicycle will be included among his gifts, as he once again parked his old one behind a piece of equipment and it was run over.

I like to be nearly finished by now, as it makes the trips to the store for the last-minute items less frenetic for me. I don’t find myself tossing items into my buggy willy-nilly in the hopes that there are gifts enough to go around. I can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the stores without pressure. I can look for items with thoughtfulness and calmness and put back what doesn’t fit my mental image.

It is as wonderful as it is rare.

I did have opportunity to do some shopping this weekend, but it wasn’t for gifts. My middle girl, who is somewhat of a mix of a tomboy and a grunge rocker (with a softer, artistic sensibility thrown in for good measure and some confusion of style) needed a classic and tasteful dress for a school presentation.

This did not give me the same sense of calm as I mentioned above.

We had been in a couple of stores last week but had found nothing that would work. So, after church Sunday, we climbed into the car and headed back out into the retail world.

The first two stores we entered didn’t have dresses out at all. Apparently, most people don’t choose to purchase dresses in the coldest cold snap of the season. That makes sense, but since when do I do what makes the most sense?

In our third store, we found a couple of dresses that would fit and be appropriate, but even though they were housed on the clearance rack, I couldn’t afford them. Technically, I could have paid for them, but I certainly couldn’t justify paying that much for a dress that will likely be worn only once.

We finally found some dresses in the last store we entered, and that’s when the battle really began. When I liked a dress’s cut, length or style, it was a quick “no” from my daughter. When I asked why she didn’t like a particular garment, she couldn’t really articulate the reason, which made narrowing down other dresses to show her harder than I would have liked.

I finally picked up two dresses and asked her to try them on before rejecting them, which she agreed to do, and she picked out two dresses that I agreed to let her try on before rejecting them, and off to the fitting rooms we went. Another half an hour in the fitting rooms and we had a compromise – I mean, a winner.

The relief was palpable, however, it wasn’t to last. Because as we paid for the dress and tights we had chosen, she reminded me that she also needs new shoes.

Here we go again.

Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.