I wanted to do my final 10 countdown, these ones all beginning with I’ll never forget.
I’ll never forget growing up I was NEVER allowed to go to the school dances. Ugh, alllll weeeeek long everyone would talk about the upcoming dance and everyone knew I wasn’t allowed to go! Not in grade 6, and not in Grade 7. Now in grade eight I was on the Student Council and since someone from the council had to sell pop and chips at the dance, I was the best candidate because I wouldn’t be missing out on the dance! I was encouraged by my friends Ang and Stacy that this was as good as it was ever going to get!! Never had there been a sales girl as eager as I. I do remember at the end of that dance my friends barged through the doors and said there’s one last dance/contest. They said it’s not even like a dance it’s a snowball dance, kind of like hot potato! Sounds fun! You walk around the circle and when the music stops you find a new partner and then it keeps going and going until there’s two people left! Well, I do remember my neighbour Joey and I won! I know some of you are thinking how do you remember that?! Come on people I’d been pleading with my parents for years to go to one of these dances, now selling pop and chips at one had led me to the Snowball championship dance/not really a dance contest!
😉That was as close as I got to any dance for years.
I’ll never forget growing up I was NEVER allowed to go to the school dances. Ugh, alllll weeeeek long everyone would talk about the upcoming dance and everyone knew I wasn’t allowed to go! Not in grade 6, and not in Grade 7. Now in grade eight I was on the Student Council and since someone from the council had to sell pop and chips at the dance, I was the best candidate because I wouldn’t be missing out on the dance! I was encouraged by my friends Ang and Stacy that this was as good as it was ever going to get!! Never had there been a sales girl as eager as I. I do remember at the end of that dance my friends barged through the doors and said there’s one last dance/contest. They said it’s not even like a dance it’s a snowball dance, kind of like hot potato! Sounds fun! You walk around the circle and when the music stops you find a new partner and then it keeps going and going until there’s two people left! Well, I do remember my neighbour Joey and I won! I know some of you are thinking how do you remember that?! Come on people I’d been pleading with my parents for years to go to one of these dances, now selling pop and chips at one had led me to the Snowball championship dance/not really a dance contest!
😉That was as close as I got to any dance for years.
Skip ahead a few years. Good ol’ Grade 10 semi formal!! Once again I asked my dad if I could go. Can you believe he said ‘YES!?!’ I could NOOOTTTT believe it! Years of asking, and years of hearing NO! But not this time, my good ol’ Dad finally said, ‘Yes!’
My girlfriends were just as shocked as I was!! The weekend before a few of my girlfriends took the bus downtown to Galleria Mall and I bought the cutest dress from Mariposa!
😬 I know it’s hard to believe Mariposa would have a good dress but at one time that store was all the rage!!! Friday of the semi formal rolled around, that morning I had laid my dress out before I went to school!
The plan was to get ready at home after school and then get dropped off at my girlfriends house. From there her mom was going to drop us all off.
I wasss Pumped!! Well, when I got home from school that night my dad called me into the kitchen and told me he needed to talk to me. I did NOOOTTT see it coming! He said, ‘Heather, I don’t feel good about you going tonight, I’m sorry to do this but I’m not going to let you go.’ Screeeeechhhh hauuulllttttt What?! ‘Dad I have everything ready! My dress, my shoes, a ride and what am I going to tell my friends??!! Again he said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t let you go!’
This is the crazy part, I remember it wasn’t a discussion, it was just a gentle statement. I remember going to my room not yelling, not screaming, just trying to figure out what just happened. It didn’t overly shock me in some ways and yet, I was so close. I couldn’t believe he said, ‘no’, even after I’d bought my dress! And of course the first thing I saw when I walked upstairs to my room was the new dress hanging nicely over the end of my bed. I sat on the floor, picked up my see through telephone and called my friends and told them I wouldn’t be coming.
My girlfriends were just as shocked as I was!! The weekend before a few of my girlfriends took the bus downtown to Galleria Mall and I bought the cutest dress from Mariposa!
😬 I know it’s hard to believe Mariposa would have a good dress but at one time that store was all the rage!!! Friday of the semi formal rolled around, that morning I had laid my dress out before I went to school!The plan was to get ready at home after school and then get dropped off at my girlfriends house. From there her mom was going to drop us all off.
I wasss Pumped!! Well, when I got home from school that night my dad called me into the kitchen and told me he needed to talk to me. I did NOOOTTT see it coming! He said, ‘Heather, I don’t feel good about you going tonight, I’m sorry to do this but I’m not going to let you go.’ Screeeeechhhh hauuulllttttt What?! ‘Dad I have everything ready! My dress, my shoes, a ride and what am I going to tell my friends??!! Again he said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t let you go!’
This is the crazy part, I remember it wasn’t a discussion, it was just a gentle statement. I remember going to my room not yelling, not screaming, just trying to figure out what just happened. It didn’t overly shock me in some ways and yet, I was so close. I couldn’t believe he said, ‘no’, even after I’d bought my dress! And of course the first thing I saw when I walked upstairs to my room was the new dress hanging nicely over the end of my bed. I sat on the floor, picked up my see through telephone and called my friends and told them I wouldn’t be coming.
One thing I’ll never forget is that no matter how much pressure I put on my dad his conviction stood firm. No, I didn’t agree with it then, but looking back at it now, I’m proud of him for sticking with what he felt was best for me, even when it clearly wasn’t the popular thing to do. I look around in society today and so many parents cave to their children’s wants and desires, even when they don’t feel good about it. The children lead and the parents follow, which is completely backwards!! I’m thankful I had a dad that stood firmly by his convictions even when the pressure was on.
Parents, there are times we don’t know why something isn’t sitting right, it’s in those moments we can’t allow the amount of pressure our children, their friends, or other parents are putting on us to determine what decision we make.
God has given US the awesome responsibility of raising OUR children. He gave them to us, not to the neighbours, not to the vote of popularity, but to us. We are all doing our best to raise our children to be the best they can be.
Was the dance an awful place for me to be? We may never know! But I do know I wouldn’t have remembered the dance as much as I remembered the lesson. One thing I’ll always remember is that my Dad’s inner conviction stood the outer pressure. I respected him not because of the decision he made, but that he stood in the face of unpopularity and stood firm.
Parents, there are times we don’t know why something isn’t sitting right, it’s in those moments we can’t allow the amount of pressure our children, their friends, or other parents are putting on us to determine what decision we make.
God has given US the awesome responsibility of raising OUR children. He gave them to us, not to the neighbours, not to the vote of popularity, but to us. We are all doing our best to raise our children to be the best they can be.
Was the dance an awful place for me to be? We may never know! But I do know I wouldn’t have remembered the dance as much as I remembered the lesson. One thing I’ll always remember is that my Dad’s inner conviction stood the outer pressure. I respected him not because of the decision he made, but that he stood in the face of unpopularity and stood firm.
Parents, for you it may not be a dance. It may be a friend, social media, television, movies, clothing, cars, whatever!!
God’s given you His spirit as your guide! When something’s not sitting right, don’t give in. When the children are kicking and screaming, don’t cave! Stand by what you feel is right for you, for your children and your family, despite doing the unpopular thing! #10to40 #innerconviction
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