Attire for Mass

This post is not likely to be what you think it is.

This morning at Mass, I saw a man walking up the aisle with his two little girls, both dressed in what appeared to be dance constumes. They had short skirts, glittery tops, and they of course, matched. The girls were of different ages. Now, the dance costumes were quite cute, but to myself, I grumbled about "innapropriate attire" for Mass.

Then I thought back to when I was a little girl, and I almost giggled out loud!

I realized that the man with the little girls did not have his wife with him, and that could serve as an explanation.

When I was a little girl, usually Mom dressed me in the morning for Mass. Well, one night she had to work so my Dad, himself a Lutheran, had to agree to bring my brother and I to Church in the morning, and she would meet us there. She did not have time to come home and still make it to Mass on time.

So that Saturday evening, I told Dad that I wanted to dress myself. He was affable to this, having no idea that Mom usually "assisted" in this matter.

Well, the next morning, I got prepared for Mass. I picked out my favorite dress, then as I was about to put it on, I realized that it had buttons. No problem. I just put the buttons in the front. I didn't want to need any help and I didn't see why it mattered where the buttons went. After all, it was a dress. (It was also a summer dress and it was winter outside, snow included).

I solved the problme of the light cotton shift...I wore my leg-warmers. I wanted to be sure to stay warm!

I think I also wore either a cardigan of a clashing color, or maybe a knitted poncho.

And I wore my purple moon boots. I LOVED my purple moon boots.

I was SO proud of my outfit! I dressed myself and I didn't need any help at all!

So we trooped into Mass, and when I saw Mom standing just outside the sanctuary, I flew into her appalled arms and announced loudly, "Mommy! I dressed myself!"

She, and everyone in the whole church knew it when we entered with my very embarassed mother. There wasn't time to go to the bathroom to correct my backwards dress, and so she was forced to take me to Mass attired as I was.

As I understand it, she was very upset with my father, the poor man, who had been duped by a child and of course thought that my outfit was hilarious. He was highly entertained by my antics. Mom...not so much.

I wasn't allowed to dress myself for a very long time.

And so I considered that father at Mass today, and my heart goes out to him...clearly he was talked into letting his little girls dress like ballerinas today, and maybe he was relieved,...at least they were wearing skirts.

So the next time you see a single parent (sorry guys, but especially a single father) at Mass with improperly attired children, try to stifle your giggles and cut the guy a break...he likely got outsmarted, and maybe thinks that his daughters are the cutest things he's ever seen!

For myself, I was "Daddy's Girl" and I think that helped me in my manipulation of the family system...fathers, beware your little girls!