I went over to my neighbor's house to return a CD I had borrowed, and when I rang the doorbell I was greeted by the two little girls that live there. One is 8 and the other is almost 4. And when they came to the door they were all dressed up - hair, make-up, the works! - and i realized that I had come for dress-up hour, but not just any dress-up hour, it was wedding day! I went into the house and the girls gave me hugs and told me they were getting married. And I began to observe them in a different way from that moment on. The oldest was wearing a beautiful white dress that went to the floor, her hair had been carefully pinned back to the best of an 8 year-old's abilities, and her make-up had been diligently applied. She looked beautiful. She was wearing shoes with sparkles and some delicate jewelry. And she told me that I was just in time for her wedding, and that she had been getting ready and was really excited. As she told me that she spun around and showed me her dress and her eyes sparkled as she told me she was marrying Prince Aladdin. And I said, "Oh! You are! How wonderful! And, you're dress is GORGEOUS! I love it. You are a beautiful bride." And as I gave her those words she had obviously been wanting to hear, I watched her eyes sparkle and her posture got a little better and she walked taller. She felt important and valued, and - BEAUTIFUL.
By this time, the youngest had waited to talk to me as long as she could! She burst out and began to tell me that she was getting married TOO! And that she was her sister's maid of honor, and that her sister was hers too. She then began to lunch into her wedding plans, telling me that she was marrying Prince Eric and that her outfit was different from her sister's cause she liked this one better. She was wearing more of a medieval looking outfit mixed with a lady pirate costume from halloween that her sister wore a few years ago. She looked absolutely adorable. She then told me about her make-up and how she had put on the lipstick - which was really just colored lip-gloss, and how her sister had done her hair with a flower in it, and as she told me she turned so I could carefully examine every detail of her face, hair, and outfit. And as I complimented her just as I had her sister, her smile went straight to her eyes and she got so excited she did a little spin in her outfit, making her skirt twirl out, and she said, with great enthusiasm, "I can't wait to get married!!"
They invited me to stay for the wedding and so, of course, I stayed. I went upstairs to talk to their mom and they said they were going to go have the rehearsal and that they would call them when they were ready for guests. And after they called me half a dozen times, I finally went back downstairs and received instructions from the other room to sit on the couch. And I did as I was told and then I heard the announcement, "The wedding is starting....NOW!" And then I heard the clicking of their shoes on the hardwood floors in the foyer and then I saw the oldest, who was getting married first, come in with her sister carrying the train of her dress, and turned to face me. She told me that her prince is standing in front of her. Then she sent her sister back to the foyer multiple times, first to be a flower girl, then a ring bearer, and then finally, the maid of honor. When her whole bridal party had entered, she looked at her invisible prince and said "okay we are married now, let's go to the party!" At the "party" she through the flowers to me and her sister and danced for a minute and then it was time for the second wedding. And it went basically the exact same way.
As I sat on the couch watching two little girls who I have watched grow up, 'get married', I noticed the way they smiled, the way the youngest got so excited to be a bride. When the weddings were over they both run up the stairs and told their mother that they got married. I realized that I never truly understood how much little girls desire to feel beautiful. To them, the wedding was about one thing, beauty. They wanted to be beautiful. They loved feeling special. I sat and watched this beautiful picture of innocence and I began to pray for them, that God would protect that in them. I guess I didn't realize how early on it is shown that it's every little girl's dream to be beautiful.
Singing Harmony,
Morgan
