Rite of Passage

Over the last couple of years it has been really fun to see all the changes that Katie has gone through.  The girl who went happily off to sixth grade with a hole in her shirt saying “Who cares, Mom!  It’s in the back,” now puts really cute things together.  The same girl who would rarely brush her hair is now known to put a pretty hair pin in place before heading out.

She has even started wearing a little makeup.  One of my favorite memories of being that age is going with my Mom to buy my first few items of makeup.  We went to Northgate mall in Chattanooga and went into the Merle Norman makeup store.  I can still remember the smell of the place and the rows of makeup spread out over the counter.  I’m sure that things have changed since then, but back then it was all about the pancake type foundation and the sparkle eye shadow.  It was the late 70s you know, there was a lot of glitter and sparkle every where you looked!  I remember sitting in the chair as the nice lady applied my makeup and gave me the tips and techniques I’d need to be able to replicate the look at home.  I felt beautiful when we finished although I’m glad that there are no pictures to show what I really looked like!  Better that a memory like that lives only in your mind, right?

So off Katie and I, along with one of her besties, Amanda, went to our wonderful little local shop called Preen.  To say that they are a cosmetic store doesn’t even begin to cover what they are all about.  They just sell so many beautiful things.  Best of all, they make you feel beautiful just walking in the door.  When I had no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes, Beth and Nicole helped me figure out how to apply makeup in a way that focused people on my eyes and not my bald head.  They are a big reason that season of my life was bearable.

Beth fixes up Katie while Amanda documents the lesson for future reference

So I knew that Katie and Amanda were in the best of hands.  Beth spend time with both of them and when she was done they looked adorable.  Just the perfect amount of makeup that made them look beautiful while still making them look their age.  Remember when your skin looked like that?  Ah, youth.

Thank you Beth and Nicole!  Thanks to you the girls look beautiful and we have hopefully headed the “more black eye liner is better” period off at the pass.  You guys are the best.

It was so fun being with Katie and Amanda for this little adventure.  As we walked out of the store, each of them with a little bag of beauty in their hands, I was overcome with gratitude that I was here to witness this special little event.  In the day to day of living, the miracle of my continued good health is easily overlooked.  But then, every so often I am hit with a wave of thankfulness that I am here.  That I’m getting to see my girls grow up.  I am reminded of His marvelous grace to me and my family.

He is so good.