a prayer for moms of seniors

I have a couple of coworkers whose daughters or granddaughters are high school Seniors this year, and I'm watching these ladies help their girls pick out prom dresses. It's a careful negotiation, matching mom's taste (and budget) with the kids' ideas of what's fashionable. I remember the negotiations over my own prom: our school system did after-prom lock-ins at the YMCA. The after party was actually cooler than the dance event: they gave away everything from mini-fridges (useful in dorm rooms) to a car (not a new one by any means). Then, of course, breakfast at the IHOP before returning home. Thet's when all my careful negotiations fell apart: while my friends went home and curled up in their beds, I wound up mowing and raking the yard. "Hoot with the owls, scream with the eagles" was dad's reply to my protests. So I worked, but I was really cranky about it. Bless the moms of Middle Georgia as they go through this rite of passage. Last spring break, last high school dance, last awards ceremony, all in preparation for the biggest day of all: graduation. Time flies when you're having fun, stock up on film and camera batteries now.
--Misty