More About Fancy Shmancy Dresses

Just over a week ago, I wished that I was wearing one of those fancy shmancy dresses that I blogged about recently (here), rather than the presentable-but-well-worn, oft-repeated clothes I had on.

You see, on Friday evening about ten days ago, while Geoff and I were enjoying a rare night out together at a dinner hosted by our local adoption agency, someone tapped me on the shoulder to say hi and, moments later, to introduce me to his wife.  Although I barely remembered them at first, their faces crept back into my memory as they reminded me that one of their kids had been in Kindermusik with Matthew a while back.  Turns out, she and I have a mutual friend and, from that friend's blog, she came across my blog address a few years ago and has been quietly following along with us on our journey since.  I felt rather shy and embarrassed and more than a little awed when I learned that she has my blog address on the front page of her i-phone screen!  I was hugely flattered and deeply complimented.  Wow.

So why the wish for prettier clothes, a little more make-up?

Fear, I suppose.  Fear that I wouldn't live up to her seemingly positive impression of me because, after all, she doesn't know the real me and might not be as impressed with this one as with the blogger Ruth.  If I was just thinner, prettier, had on nicer clothes, a coat of mascara, well then...

You'd think that at my age I'd be passed all of this superficial stuff already.  But I guess part of me, not the better part, never really left high school.

Thankfully, the wish for prettier clothing passed quickly enough.  This lovely woman said such kind things about me that she provided me with a different sort of apparel that evening.  As I sat back down at the table with my dinner companions, I was sure that everyone must see the jewels that kind words had hung about my neck, must notice the glittering tiara that her enthusiasm had heaped upon my head.  I glowed from the inside out with something no dress will ever help me project.

Her words, her kindness, resonated with me for the rest of that weekend, indeed, even until now.

I have thought so often since then how much impact we can have on another person with words, just our words.

Would that my words likewise be seasoned in such a way as to have that kind of impact on someone's day, on someone's life.  That, not the shiny new dress, is so worth striving for.