Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Shopping (03/01/07)
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TITLE: Never Again | Previous Challenge Entry
By Whitnie Henderson
03/05/07 -
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But this tale is not one of longing for the chance to go shopping or even to get a thrill out it, it’s the tale of a mother who no longer has the ability to shop with her son and the last time they shopped together.
In June 2005, my son Thearon was graduating from high school. He was home schooled and the school he was attending had a senior weekend, which included a prom and graduation ceremony. The graduates were from all over the world and most had never met.
Thearon had his own unique personality and wanted to attend the prom in a suit in his color of the moment: lime green. You can imagine my horror when he expressed that desire. I tried to talk him out of it. He’d already painted his room, lime green. Limilicious, actually. So, I knew he was quite serious.
Thearon’s personality also considered decision making as optional. In the months preceding the prom he vacillated about whether he wanted to attend. He didn’t know the other students and he didn’t see the point, which I explained was exactly the point. Instead of trying to convince him, I just paid for the prom and made arrangements for us to attend senior weekend. And true to form about a week before the weekend in question, Thearon decided he’d go.
As always happens in these situations, we had to make the dreaded shopping trip--this time for a lime suit. Thearon and I had stopped shopping together years previously. Around 15, he no longer felt he needed me along with him as he tried on clothes. As it turned out, he was right. He pretty much limited his wardrobe to jeans and t-shirts that any sumo wrestler would find roomy. But the prom is different. A woman’s opinion is always called for when a man is suiting up.
So off we went in search of the lime suit. Fortunately, there weren’t any. Having a lack of green suits from which to choose, made Thearon rethink his attire. And having waited to the last minute pretty much limited him to what the store had on hand. You’ll recall shopping is not my thing. And worse than shopping, is shopping with someone else. Its no wonder men are bored beyond tears while their women try on infinite combinations of shirts, skirts and dresses.
So there I sat, feeling somewhat victorious over the fact that I would not have to endure anything lime, when I noticed that an hour had passed—then two. Worse yet, only about 45 minutes remained before closing time and Thearon was no where near making a decision. It was then I was reminded of why we didn’t shop together anymore.
Thearon inherited his father’s shopping genes. My ideal fantasy shopping adventure goes something like this. I walk in a store, see an outfit I like on display. I tell the sales person I want it in size 10 (hence, the fantasy) and I’m on my way home – five minutes tops. Not so with those two. They couldn’t spend too much time in malls looking for just the right Nikes or jeans.
As the clock was ticking away, I was beyond frustrated with his inability to pick a suit, so I let my impatience show and pushed him into a decision. He finally decided on a cream silk blend suit with a printed purple tie. He actually bought several ties, because he couldn’t decide on one.
The prom was a success and Thearon at 6’2” would have been quite the GQ model. But this tale is not about the prom or the suit Thearon wore. It’s about cherishing moments, even moments doing things you don’t enjoy, particularly when doing them with someone you love.
Thearon did not survive senior weekend. While returning home on Sunday just a few hours after his graduation ceremony had ended, Thearon was in a fatal car collision. He died in my arms three hours later. Never again will we shop together. Not for his college graduation, his wedding or grandchildren. Never again.
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My son, Matt, graduated last year, but we had a suit from his sister's wedding a few months earlier. Even so, my experience taking him to buy that was about as hard as your experience with Thearon. I will never take those experiences for granted again.
With love, Deb (Challenge Coordinator and Editor, FaithWriters' Magazine)