THE PROM

All over America, teenagers are beginning to wrestle with thoughts of the prom. In the day, we called it the "Junior/Senior." The "Juniors" did the heavy lifting. In our little town we had this National Guard Armory that we decorated for the big dance. It was something. Thank the Lord for memories. They can be like a gentle ocean breeze, like the old home place that feels good to revisit. The memories are there, at times strong, at times weak--the perfect combination of old and new. The smiles and the occasional stress. Prom is pure happiness. It's the prom date. It's the prom dress.

And sometimes, there's sadness: a friend recently told me this story. A patient was in chemo. The final stages of a dreaded cancer. A daughter is preparing for the prom. They shop for the dress. The patient is so happy as they find the perfect one. She will never make it to shop for that future wedding dress but she made it for the prom dress. The patient died just before the prom.