I prayed as I entered the Forever 21 today. I prayed a real actual prayer.
In the immortal words of MC Hammer, (that's word) We pray... we got to pray just to make it today...
Amen, people. It's HAMMER TIME!
So I prayed as follows:
"Please help me find school clothes for these girls. Help me stay in my budget and find things that will make them happy. Help me to be patient.... Oooo that's a cute skirt...I wonder if they have it my size... um... sorry, Lord. Let Thy spirit be with me today in all I do..."
I try to pray always and not faint. Just like the scriptures say.
Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it shall be given unto you; Seek and ye shall find ..."
Today I was seeking school clothes. Why not ask for help from a higher power? I wasn't gonna be able to find super cute deals and steals for both my girls without divine intervention, now was I? No. No I wasn't. That's the truth of the matter. The very soul of the core of the school shopping matter.
Miracles occurred today.
There have been many a shopping trip in my life with these daughters of mine that have ended in tears of frustration. Funny cuts, ugly prints and ill-fitting frocks have all contributed to these minor meltdowns.
I kept a silent prayer in my heart as I led my girls from rack to rack.
"I LOVE that skirt, mama! That is SO cute!" said Serena, smiling. She is so very proud of her new braces. She is the envy of all her bare toothed friends.
"I'm really diggin' this t-shirt, Mom," said Bella.
"That's a really ugly t-shirt, Bella," said Serena.
"Mom, tell Serena to quit saying everything I like is ugly. I think everything SHE likes is ugly. Like that ugly skirt she loves so much."
I smiled. Things were going well. Things were going very well.
"Let's be kind to one another about our individual choice of clothing," I said. "I would wear both the skirt AND the t-shirt. Not TOGETHER, of course, that would be ridiculous. But I like them both. You each have a great sense of style."
"I like really girly, pretty stuff and Bella likes super casual funky stuff, like fringe leather vests," said Serena. "What's YOUR style, Mom?"
"Eclectic."
"What's that mean?"
"It means you can't fence me in. I like a little bit of everything. I love to borrow from any given style and make it my own."
"Daddy says you're Bombshell style. But when we watch the Style channel it says that Bombshell style is mostly about, like, Victoria's Secret stuff..."
"Daddy said that, huh?" I smirked.
"Yeah. Can I have these high heels?"
Serena had stepped into a pair of four inch silver stilettos and was hobbling about precariously.
"No. You'll break your face."
"But ALL my friends are wearing high heels! Emma wears high heels. Emily wears high heels. Grace wears..."
I am constantly being told what ALL the OTHER girls are doing that she is not. Can it be true? Do you think? That ALL the mothers of twelve year old girls have joined forces without my knowledge and have purchased 4 inch shoes for their daughters? Are there, unbeknownst to me, tons of twittering tweens teetering about the halls of middle schools across the nation?
After three hours of scouring every article of clothing in the store it came time to make the purchase.
I was pleased.
A song came on over the loud speaker. It was a booty shaking song if I ever heard one. So I did a little jig and sang along as the girl at the register scanned our every item.
"Mom! That is SO embarrassing. Quit dancing at the register!" said Serena.
"Don't be silly," said I. "Dancing at the register is HEALTHY! It's a healthy endevour. You should try it."
"Mom! The girl at the register doesn't want to see you dancing. It's WEIRD," she whispered loudly.
"The girl at the register doesn't mind my dancing at all," I said clearly for all to hear (as whispering in front of the girl at the register is rude.) "Do you?"
"I don't mind at all," said the girl at the register to Serena. "It makes her happy." She gestured to me.
"It makes YOU happy," I said to Register Girl, still dancing. "Look how you're smiling! You can't help yourself."
We all laughed and bid adieu. Parting is such sweet sorrow.
And so it was that I asked and I was given. I sought and I found.
Some might think praying before a shopping trip to The Forever 21 is silly.
But I am told in the scriptures that "the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth a man that he must not pray...
But behold, ye must pray always... ye must not perform any thing ... save in the first place ye shall pray..." 2 Nephi 32:8-9
So if the evil spirit DOESN'T want me to pray in The Forever 21 than guess what I'm'a gonna do? That's right! I'm gonna pray in The Forever 21!!
I'm sort of a rebel.
And behold, the biggest miracle of all?
I bought nothing for myself. Which thing I never has supposed was possible.
PS My little khaki overall dress was purchased this weekend in Vegas. Vintage. FIVE BUCKS!! I am truly blessed in all things.
