Hooker Heels and a Hess Station

The things we do for our kids.

I have always enjoyed helping my daughter get ready for the prom or homecoming or cotillion or the annual pig festival dance or whatever formal occasion we had next on the calendar. There’s a lot that goes in to preparing for these events… that is if you have a girl. Boys take about 27 minutes. Girls? 27 hours. But I love it. I love it until I find myself in hooker heels in a Hess station.

It was prom night. Her hair was done in a beautiful up-do. She had a french manicure and pedicure. Her makeup was just right. She had the perfect yellow dress acquired after days of shopping. Subsequent to the selection of that dress, I had purchased a 100 ft roll of “flash tape” to ensure the dress stayed in all the right places. She had 4 inch high silver heels that accented the dress perfectly.  Once the earrings and bracelet were added, she was ready to head to the marathon photo session at a downtown park.

Of course I took all the photos she wanted. Standing. Sitting. On the stairs. Near the water. With the boy. With the group. With the boy and the group.

Hundreds of photos later, the happy couple got in the back of my limo and I chauffeured them to the glitzy and glamorous hotel in Orlando. Yes, I know. How painful that mom had to drive them. But their real limo plans fell through and neither was allowed to drive that far just yet so here is mom to save the day. They actually didn’t mind since I let them play the music as loud as they wanted. And told them jokes. Ok maybe I went overboard with that, but I laugh at myself so I was entertained. Heck, I’m driving. And I had worked hard to get to this point. There was a lot invested in this evening. She was gorgeous. I was proud.

I dropped them off at the door. As they strolled in to Prom Night 2014, I zoomed off to kill time for two hours until my next assignment – get them to the afterparty. I proceed to review the 500 photos we just took.

When I arrived to retrieve the happy couple, half of the happy couple did not look so happy. My daughter proclaimed her shoes to be the absolute spawns of satan, adding that she could no longer wear them or it would make the evening unbearable. “OK just change into your flats you brought.” What flats?  You mean you forgot your flats? I saw my evening going a lot differently as I slipped off my flat sandals and handed them over.

But what was I to do. I’m a mom. I wanted her to have a fun time. As she goes on to the post Prom celebration now able to walk again,  I knew this was going to be a late night.  I settled into the car with my computer, a book, snacks, drink and my heated seats. Party time for mom.

After several hours of my party, I realized that unfortunately I needed to use the restroom. It was now just after midnight so my options were narrowing. I spotted a Hess station near by. Perfect. “I’ll get gas while I’m there.” Multi-tasking is a strength. But wait. I need shoes. Shoes. 

Looking in the back seat, I spotted her 4 inch silver heels.

Minutes later I found myself stumbling into a Hess station bathroom in all my rhinestone-studded, hooker heel glory looking like the last ten minutes of prom from 30 years ago. It was not pretty I can assure you. And I’m certain there’s a gas station attendant who still isn’t quite the same.

Giving up my comfortable, sensible shoes was a sacrifice that I made for her. As her mom, I put her first without regard for my needs or wants. But that’s what we do as parents. We want good things for our children and we go to great lengths to provide it.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

When you think about how much you love your children, try to wrap your mind around the fact that God loves you a million times more! As much as you want to bless your children and do things for them to make them happy, God desires to do so on levels we can not comprehend. And just like earthly parents, He doesn’t always give us exactly what we want because He knows what’s best. But when it comes to sacrificing for His children,  He gave up way more than a pair of shoes.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16