About a year ago, I asked Matt if he thought he would be going to his Senior Prom. I asked him more than once since then, and he kept saying that he didn’t think so, and I said okay. It wasn’t like I was nagging; it was just that I was trying to plant a seed. I thought that if I suggested it, my suggestion would take hold and materialize. I also knew that we both would be okay if Matt didn’t go to prom. It was just something that I wanted him to experience. The opportunity to attend one’s Senior Prom comes around once in a lifetime.
Prom is a good experience for parents too because we get to:
- spend time shopping with our kids to get ready for the big event;
- give important advice that might be appreciated;
- see how adorable our children are when they are all dressed up;
- take pictures; and
- attend the Grand March.
It is also a special time because we might see some kids who grew up with our child; the ones who asked us to please help them open milk cartons or tie shoes way back when they were in kindergarten. This is one of the parts that I always look forward to because we don’t get to see all those kids any more now that they are all grown up.
“Are there any girls who you think you might like to ask to the prom?” was one of the questions I asked.
“No, Mom,” he said, as he walked up the steps on the way to his room to hide from me. Even if he did know the answer to that question, would he really tell me?
So I was very surprised one day when I got a text message that said, “Do you want to pay for the tickets to prom?”
“Yes!” I texted back. “Who did you ask?”
Matt told me, and I was happy to learn that he asked a girl who we’ve known since they were in kindergarten together.
“That’s so sweet,” I texted back. “You have to ask her what color her dress is.”
“I know, Mom.”
Matt ordered his tux, I ordered a corsage, and when the night arrived, the outfits of the prom couple matched perfectly. My husband and I met them and many other prom couples and parents at an art gallery to take pictures. Then we left to get a good seat at the Grand March. A balloon arch up on the stage swayed back and forth as people entered the auditorium. After the festivities began, each prom couple walked to the arch, stood and smiled, posing nicely for a picture. Before we knew it, the kids were on their way to dinner and the dance.
It all flew by in a flash of a camera bulb like most fun times in life. It’s another special memory to be tucked away in this Mom’s heart because, now you know, prom ~ it’s not just for kids!
My Reality Show 