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April 30, 2003 - "Patiently Waiting" "There is no instinct like that of the heart." ~Lord Byron
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They say good things come to those who wait. So, for those who wait as long as Joyce did, the blessings must be tenfold! I have watched Joyce grow tremendously in her writing and can't wait to see her next story! I am lucky to have worked with Joyce in each of my writing workshops, and just love this wonderful lady!
PATIENTLY WAITING
by Joyce Heiser
"Should I or shouldn't I? It's too ridiculous to even consider. I'm not dating anyone." Those thoughts raced through my mind as I admired the wedding gown and veil draped over my arm.
In my early thirties, I knew Mr. Right would come along. I'd fantasized about him, our wedding, and living happily ever after. However, I don't remember thinking about the gown I'd wear.
Sharon and I hurried to the second hand store on our lunch hour. She knew I enjoyed poking around the resale shops, trying to find tatting shuttles for my growing collection. One day I'd worn a peach wool suit to the office. When Sharon commented on how lovely it was, I confided that it was a thrift store find. Amazed, she asked to go with me some time.
When we walked in the door, she gazed quickly around the one room. "I think I'd just like to look by myself if you don't mind," she said. I nodded my assent and headed to the rack of long dresses at the back of the store. Since I often wore them when I sang, I always checked for new additions.
Right in the middle of the rack, I spied a wedding dress with matching veil. Curious, I gently took it down for a closer look. It was a beautiful dress; simple, yet elegant with just one wide panel of lace down the front and matching lace around the short sleeves and neck. The long veil had matching lace as the headpiece. I could tell it had been worn once, but the tender loving care of it afterwards showed.
Looking at the dress, I realized I wanted to wear it at my own wedding. What an absurd thought.
Suddenly, my reverie broke as Sharon came to see what had captured my attention. She, too, was enchanted with the gown, and she urged me to try it on. I needed little encouragement and hurried to the dressing room. Two minutes later I opened the curtain to model the dress for her. She gasped with delight. "That dress was made for you, Joyce. Buy it."
Feeling silly, I rushed to the check out counter before I changed my mind. As we rode back to work, Sharon and I laughed at the absurdity of what I'd just done. I begged Sharon not to tell anyone, because I didn't want to be the laughingstock of the office. I sighed with relief when she assured me it was our little secret.
That night as I taped two plastic bags together to put over the dress, I laughed again at my impetuousness. Even though I still felt silly, I was also pleased, because I knew one day I would wear it.
Two years went by, then three...then four...when would he arrive? Occasionally, I would push back the clothes in front of the plastic bag encased dress, but I didn't try it on. I just pictured myself in it.
During those years, since no one ever teased me about the dress, I knew Sharon had kept her word. However, I was always on edge around her wondering if she might inadvertently spill the beans. It was with relief that I bid her goodbye when she left for a new job.
Two more years passed. I'd passed my 36th birthday a few months before, and I was getting discouraged. Then one day a new friend, Laurie, sat next to me at church. She told me about a "very nice man" who worked at her company. Would I be interested in a blind date? I, like most people, had my own blind date horror stories. But, my date book wasn't overflowing, so I agreed, thinking I had nothing to lose.
The following Saturday Dennis arrived at the door. We went out for coffee and sat in the restaurant talking until the wee morning hours. Four more dates followed that week. The next Saturday we got engaged.
With time marching quickly forward and many wedding plans to make, I fearfully pulled the dress from the back of the closet to try on. Would it fit? Thankfully, it was only a little big.
When I took the dress to the cleaners and tried the dress on for the seamstress, she assured me she could easily take a few tucks here and there for a proper fit. She was also willing to add the long sleeves I proposed since it was a mid-November wedding. She suggested taking the lace from the short sleeves and adding it to encase the wrists.
The day before the wedding I picked up the dress. I was thrilled with the outcome and hugged the seamstress. She had obviously gone the extra mile to make my gown perfect for my special day.
The next morning, my wedding day, I awoke to sunshine shining through the windows. As I stretched before getting up, I laughed to myself. For someone who'd believed you should know someone at least six months before getting engaged and waiting another six months until the wedding, I certainly hadn't taken my own advice.
A few hours later as I prepared to walk down the aisle to meet Dennis at the marriage altar, I thought of my Mom's admonition. She'd drilled the Boy Scout motto "be prepared" into our heads over the years. Because I had been when I met Dennis, there was no need to scurry around to find the perfect wedding dress...it was waiting patiently in the back of my closet.
Joyce Heiser copyright 2003
alwayswriteforhim@yahoo.com
Joyce writes from the northwoods of Wisconsin where she and Dennis celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2002! Read her previous story "Mailbox Encourager" in our archives. http://www.2theheart.com/archives
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The Letter box:
Dear Susan,
So many of us can relate to those childhood games. Whether girl or boy, we used our imagination to play out truth. I thank, Mike, for sharing his vivid imagination with us in his story "Cowboys and Indians" and how he weaved those words of truth in at the end.
Annettee Budzban
Mike,
I really enjoyed your story, as I did the others. Welcome aboard 2theheart and thanks for sharing your writing.
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