♥ The Girls’ Room
For 23 years, I have been in The Boys’ Room, readying my sons for church, weddings, graduations, or any other event that required them to dress up. I was in charge of making sure each boy had on the right shoes, the right pants, the right shirt, and a tie and jacket if necessary. I’ve endured a barrage of discontent emotions, language that bewailed the crime of dressing up, threats of dissent. What have I been missing all these years stuck in the “boys’ room?” I found out this weekend at the wedding of my son.
We arrived at the beautiful Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, with a van loaded with 5 tuxes and one silver blue Calvin Kline dress with a Bolero Jacket, five pairs of black shoes and a pair of silver slippers. My oldest son was in charge of his own wardrobe. That is a sign of the fire and power of independence.
My two little guys, carrying their own tuxes, and I, carrying food for the Guys’ Room, two yummy trays—one filled with a selection of Subway Sandwiches and another with all the toppings and sauces. We stepped off the elevator to the right. . . there, through a glass wall were young men in various stages of undress (lots of boxers) changing into their chocolate-brown tuxes. . . . A little speechless, I swung around and slowly backed toward the room. A burst of guys’ giggling and laughing—yes, they still do giggle at that age—greeted me. I couldn’t decide whether to be mortified or amused when I turned my back. The glass window I faced was like a mirror to their room—guys still in a bunch of boxers.
The groom, my son, saved my dignity and retrieved the platters of sandwiches and toppings. Since that was the only elevator and the weather outside registered on my van as 98°, I walked with my back turned and my eyes closed for a while.
I dressed in the Girl’s Room. At first it was like entering a new world. Would I belong? It was a different world, with different colors, different language, different accessories available. No subs in sight! Clothes weren’t thrown around the room, but tidily set by each girls’ bag. I was a little awed.
There was a knock on the door. “Help,” called a male voice from the outside. I answered the door. There stood a groomsman, holding his sleeve out, a sleeve with some pizza sauce from one of the sub sandwiches.
“Tide stick?” he asked. Feeling a little guilty—I hadn’t thought about the consequences of a pizza sub, I turned around and asked, “Anyone have a Tide Stick?” I try to carry one in my purse, my car, my kitchen, but not today. .I did have bandaids, hair spritzer, Advil, children’s Motrin, extra socks, a camera charger, a Dr. Pepper, brown thread, needle, and scissors.
The Girls’ Room had Tide Sticks, emory boards, and Dr. Scholl’s For Her Rub Relief Strips. It really does prevent rubbing and blisters! Where had this been all my life?
Then I heard the most amazing thing—girl language. Little girls and grown-up girls all going about the tasks of getting ready. All kinds of words, words murmured in encouragement to the four flower girls. The bridesmaids wore the most beautiful, strappy red heels—and I mean heels. Without fuss, they dispensed Dr. Scholl’s miracle product and went on. I started un-wrapping my dress.
It was finally time for me to put on my dress. I needed someone to help me zip up the side because of the material. Nobody groaned, “My eyes. . . My eyes. . . .I’ll never see again.” Kind words, encouraging words, nurturing words, words from the Girl’s Room. Words that affirmed that being a girl, not matter the age, is really quite simply, wonderful.
What had I been missing all these years? I can imagine the words in the boys’ room. The fussing from the younger ones about the shoes, the tie, the clothes. The older ones probably were not so direct. They probably cracked jokes, dressing up their discontent with humor. Nuturing, encouraging, kind words? Not unless someone’s mama brought them in.
They were frustrated. They hadn’t tried on the tuxes when they picked them up (my 4 other sons did because they were with me). As a result, they wore pants hitched up to their chest under their shirts and vests. My mother the day before had hemmed my husband’s tux 4-inches. The store suggested he find someone to hem. Hmmmm. Chaos in The Boys’ Room.
The older ones, the groomsmen, provided companionship, stoic, supportive, probably like soldiers in battle. They weren’t getting ready for a soccer game or war. Those in The Boys’ Room were definitely out of their comfort zone, while those in The Girls’ Room were in their element.
This was a GREAT post!!!! 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind comments on my blog. My husband also has Liberty & Tyranny. I need to read that as well as the new Glenn Beck we got him for FD. 🙂
So true. I only have 2 boys and they are still very young, but I notice that sometimes I need to do something extra girly for myself otherwise I go crazy!!
Oh – what an emotional week you’ve had! Yet you seem so relaxed and “right-minded” about it all!! Wonderful posts!
I am on the opposite side of the spectrum! I’ve got all girls – so my husband is in your shoes! Congratulations on your big day (or I guess his too!) You put things so nicely – I’ve never thought about it from someone on the other side of things with all boys! Thanks for sharing your side! Stopping by to say hello from SITS. Have a great week.
Wow that was so sweet! My oldest two are boys and I always thought it would be so neat to have all boys! However, I’m very thankful to have my little girl! Thanks for coming by my blog today! I love the letter you wrote in your other post…I got all weepy!
I’m sure this is one lucky girl to have a man raised by such a wonderful mom. I’m glad you’ve gotten to experience a little bit of the girly side.
what a special time, and a beautifully written post, thanks for reminding me of the wonders of being a woman!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I’m going to try and take a look around yours, while my little ones are off playing quietly!
Great post! I have never thought about it that way. A girl’s world is definitely a whole lot different than a boy’s world when you look at it that way.
Thanks for your good wishes and your prayer! You have a beautiful family.
You look beautiful!! That is a gorgeous dress!!
I have got to brag on that dress. It’s a Calvin Kline Bolero dress that I bought on-line–’cause who’s going shopping with the Mother of the Groom? Not the boys! It was 60% off the original price and the only one left was in my size. It was $128. That was a definite gift from God! Thanks for encouraging words from the girls’s room!:)
You look beautiful!! Yay for being in the girls room!
I love this post and your do look beautiful :0)
What a wonderful story! I’ve really enjoyed perusing your blog tonight. I’ve added you to my Bloglines feed reader.
BTW, you look so pretty in your blue dress!
Blessings,
e-Mom @ Chrysalis
What a great post. You look great in the dress too!
Stopping by to welcome you to SITS!
That dress!
You look gorgeous.
I think that the mother of the groom could have stolen the show.
Glad that you enjoyed getting to be with the girls for a change.
What a wonderful post! Having only one daughter I remember all of the Girls room chatter for weddings, pageants and proms. Thanks so much for bringing some of those memories back to me. Now I have a grandson and another on the way – I guess one day I will know all about what goes on in the Boys room. lol
You looked absolutely beautiful in your dress!!
I am hoping over to welcome you to SITS! I know your going to enjoy being a part of our SITStahood!
So glad I hoped over today!
That is a beautiful picture of you. And what a difference in the worlds of boys vs. girls. At a friend’s wedding in Fl, I had to run an errand to the boys room and was shocked at how different it was! Of course, the girls room was the pent house on top of the hotel overlooking the ocean and there were professional makeup artists and hair dressers (NICE wedding 🙂 but still…there was a different vibe.
Thanks for all your posts. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, as a mother of three sons, hearing your stories is great for me.
Love, love, love this post! You look beautiful and I’m so glad you got to be in the girls’ room! Abbye is a joy I am thankful for every day but I cherish my boys too. Their differences are what make them each unique and VERY special!
Debbie