The Wedding Dress

To my readers:

While this blog is normally for fairly short, thought-provoking quotations, now and then I might find something a wee bit longer but still thought-provoking.  Today’s entry is because I’m cleaning out files and came across this article from the “Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly,” Winter 1993.  It’s an excellent analogy, written by Jeanette Haberstock, who at the time was a teacher from Yorktown, Saskatchewan.  Enjoy.

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Betty and Sally were lovely, vivacious teenagers.  They recently became interested in boys.  At first it was shy admiration.  Boy-girl friendships developed, and soon they began to date.

Betty had a good time dating.  There were always fun things to do, and she liked being young.  Boys respected her and enjoyed her company.  In her early twenties, Betty found that special guy, the one she knew she would want to marry.  Their love blossomed.  Sure enough, he “popped the question.”  An engagement ring was on her finger and wedding plans began.

Betty and her mother spent hours choosing just the right dress.  Betty was thrilled with the exquisite gown and hung it in the closet.

From time to time, her fiancé  Bob asked to see the wedding dress.

“Why don’t you dress up in your gown and show me how beautiful you look,” he suggested.  Betty was firm in her refusal.

“But, why not,” he continued.  “We’re getting married soon; it won’t hurt for me to have just a peek.  I’m curious.  After all, you are my bride, and I love you.”

“That’s just why I won’t show you.  I love you enough to not want to spoil your anticipation.  That’s part of the excitement of our wedding day.”

Bob loved Betty enough to abide by her wish.  As he stood at the altar and gazed at his approaching bride, he knew it was well worth the wait.  She was gorgeous, and she was all his!

Betty felt wonderful in her beautiful, white gown.  She only had eyes for her beloved groom.  She knew, with gratitude, she had saved this day for him, and they would spend a lifetime loving one another.

Sally, too, enjoyed her dating days.  Her mind immediately turned toward marriage when she had her first real boyfriend.  She approached her mother with a confidential request, “I want to buy a wedding dress.”

Her mother was astonishes, “You’re too young to get married, Sally.”

“It may not be for a while,” Sally assured her, “but I want to be ready just in case.”

No matter how here mother tried to discourage her, Sally insisted and finally got her way.  They depleted her special savings account and found a most beautiful wedding dress.  Sally stored it in her closet until the day she would wear it.

One day Sally took her boyfriend to her room.  He caught a glimpse of the gown in the closet.

“May I see it?” he asked.

“No, you’re not supposed to see it,” she said, embarrassed.

But her boyfriend kept on begging until she finally agreed.  “Okay,” she said, “but just this once.”  She let him have a quick look, and then put it away.  

The next time they were in her room, he thought again of the dress.  “Could I see it one more time?” he asked her lovingly, “it’s so lovely.”

Since it was no longer a secret, she took it out of the garment bag and even let him touch it.

The next week he urged her to wear the dress for him, so he could see how she looked.  It took a while to convince her, but she finally gave in, because he was so sweet about it.  How beautiful she looked!  He openly admired her as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.  Time after time she put on the wedding dress for her boyfriend.  

One day he didn’t call or stop in.  A few days later she saw him with another girl.  Sally was devastated.  She had shared something so special with him, and he deserted her for someone else.

When Sally got over her broken heart, she began dating again.  This time she showed her new friend the dress after their first few dates.  It wasn’t long before she was wearing if for him.  One day they had a serious argument while she was wearing the gown.  The result was a rip in the dress, and a relationship that ended in bitterness.

Sally had man more boyfriends.  Each saw her in the dress.  By this time the gown had lost its newness and charm.  It became soiled and worn.

Finally Sally met the man she wanted to marry.  They fell in love and planned their wedding.  She wore her gown many times for Sam.

As the day approached, Sally asked her mom if she could by a new gown for her wedding.  

“Remember, it was your idea to get your gown early,” her mother reminded her.  “The money is spent, and the dress is soiled and torn.  You’ll have to get it dry cleaned and repaired.  You have no other choice.

The dress looked almost new as Sally came down the aisle and approached her beloved groom.  However, Sam looked a little bored as he watched his bride wear the same dress he had seen so many times.  Sally lacked some of the exuberance she hoped to feel.  She silently wondered why she had spoiled this most precious moment of her life.