Like Mother, Like Daughter

Oh, the excitement of Dress-Up Days for Homecoming.

Today was Decade Day at the girls' school--dress like your favorite decade. I immediately thought of the adorable pink poodle skirt we have upstairs, and so Macy tried it on last night to alleviate issues with Grandpa in the morning. We paired it with a cute pink t-shirt, a white shrug, and pink saddle tennis shoes. She looked a.dor.a.ble.

"No." She looks down at the skirt, full and bouncy, not skinny and tight,  then back up to me. "What if I am the only one wearing this?"

"It's okay. Everyone will be wearing something dress up, from a decade. This is just what we have. You look so cute!"

"No. I don't want to be the only one wearing this. I don't want to stand out. I don't want to be the only one in my class wearing a skirt like this." She said through tears in her eyes.

I discussed at length with her it shouldn't matter what other people think, she is beautiful and strong and confident and she can wear what she wants, so forth and so on. She refused, and picked out a safe pair of jeans with a camo top.

I was disappointed in her. Then I thought back to dress up days at my school--Monday is always pajama day, and I always wear pajamas. And I always get nervous--what if I am the only one wearing pajama's? I always feel uncomfortable in the lounge when there is another teacher not wearing pj's. Twin day? I'm so afraid my twin will forget to wear what we agreed on. One day a couple years ago, there were three of us that were going to wear pigtails. I was so worried they wouldn't wear pigtails, and I would be the only one in pigtails. That's when I realized she was just like me, and I no longer worried that she didn't want to wear a poodle skirt. She will be just fine. She will always worry about what others think, but that's not a bad thing.