Of Playing Dress Up and Forgetting Not to Blink

There have been so many years of watching my four girls play dress up. Daughters transformed into princesses simply by putting on a discarded lacy slip or a costume. Tangled hair yanked into submission under the authority of a sparkling headband. A little bit of blush. A touch of lip gloss and let the twirling begin.

It didn't matter there was neither music nor prince. The girls would primp and dance and giggle all for the joy of simply being what they were – little girls playing dress up.

Tonight brought a different kind of dress up. This one was not pretend. One sister a bride.
The other her sister’s bridesmaid. Scraps of cloth are replaced with taffeta and tulle and satin. These gowns are definitely not from the toy box or rescued from the bag of discarded clothing.

I still see the faces of my little girls in these full grown princesses playing dress up. And I always will. It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly it seems the years have flown.

In only six weeks, my third princess daughter will dress up once again. She will be joined by her sisters and friends. There will much primping and twirling and giggling. But this next time, it won’t be a game. There will be music and there will be a prince.

I guess I just needed to get all sentimental for a minute. Seeing them try on their dresses took me back in time and I realized that I forgot not to blink. How does it happen so quickly? The growing up. The getting married. The moving out. Is it really almost here?

Wasn't it just yesterday she got her driver’s license? Or a week ago that she went to camp for the first time? Or only last month that I held her in my arms, a tiny bundle all wiggly and crying?

Don’t blink. Don’t.Ever.Blink.