The Easter Dress

By Libbie Summers

I’m the third child. The third daughter.

If you are a third, you know that new things don’t come often to you. This particular Easter we were shopping for a new dress just for me…not a hand me down that Jesus had seen two Easter Sundays already. My Mom took me to a small boutique about 30 miles from our rural home. I don’t remember how many dresses I tried on, I only remember the one I fell in love with. A navy blue dotted swiss party dress. The fabric was so soft and had enough layers of crinolines that it made seeing my feet impossible. This special dress cried out for twirling. I never wanted to take it off…twirling my way through the boutique until my mom insisted I remove it so she could purchase it.

That night, as my new Easter dress hung in the closet, I remember hearing my Mom and Dad get in a huge argument…over my dress! Funny, because I never remembered my Mom getting upset when Dad bought me a new fishing pole or ball glove. So what was it with this particular dress that upset him so? As a four year old, I forgot about it as soon as I fell asleep and it wasn’t until many years later that my mom divulged that my beautiful Easter dress…the dress of my four year old dreams…had cost $50! Using a current inflation calculator, today’s price would be $317.74!

As a mother, I know why my Mom spent our family’s monthly food budget on one special Easter dress for her third daughter. As for my Dad…he still doesn’t get it.

 

•The picture above is me with my sisters on Easter Sunday ready for church and wearing THE Easter dress. Clearly there was no money left for a coat

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