Sweet Reminders from My Simple, Fancy Hat

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck. (Proverbs 1:7-9 NIV)

 

I was cordially invited to attend a "High Tea" on Saturday, October 13, 2012 to be held in our sweet Southern Baptist church here in simple and rural Riverton, Wyoming. The only request was that each lady wear a "fancy hat."  I had no idea what I would do for a hat...but I knew exactly what dress I would wear; my pretty pink dress that I've only worn two or three times (hoping it would still fit!)

As a "fancy hat" all I could envision was a big brightly colored floppy hat donned with even brighter flowers and frilly flowing ribbons. I've never been to Kentucky during derby time - but in my mind the Kentucky Derby is the epitome of fancy hats. Where on earth would I find such a hat...in autumn...in Riverton, Wyoming? So, I gave great thought to my fancy hat.

Remembering an old, very old sun faded straw hat, I went to the rarely opened closet to see if it was still where I thought I'd seen it when looking for almost anything else. Sure enough, when I rolled open the door, there it was sitting on the top of a pile of old VHS tapes and even older high school yearbooks. I reached up, grabbed hold of the rim and pulled it down...surely, I can do something with this!  So, I gave even more thought to my fancy hat.

We have a Wal-Mart...they sell silk flowers and frilly ribbon! So off to Wal-Mart! I was able to find the perfect shades of pink ribbon for my hat...but flowers, not so much. The craft aisle was filled with brightly colored autumn flowers - not quite what I had seen in my mind for my pretty pink dress. I purchased my ribbon drove home and pondered over my fancy hat.

Then it hit me, I had it all the time...even older than the straw hat were perfect silk pink rosebuds and sweet white baby's breath! I opened my hutch door and gently pulled out the 53+ year old vase blooming on the inside and outside with pink. This vase was given from my grandmother to her daughter when she had her first baby girl...me! Originally it was filled with cut pink rosebuds and white baby's breath which was later replace with silk to treasure. I have all I need for my fancy hat!

As I sat at my dining table pleating, fitting and gluing pink ribbon to the rim of the hat; I pulled the silk flowers from their beautiful vase and thought only of my mom as I tacked on each one. What a wonderful lady she is and of all the ways she taught me to be like a lady...

She taught me to sit like a lady, walk like a lady, speak like a lady, laugh like a lady, smell like a lady, eat like a lady, look like a lady, expect nothing less than to be treated like a lady, and above all, marry a man who will always, always treat me like a lady.

There have been times - many times - I have failed in being lady-like in every area...except one. I married a man thirty-five years ago that has never failed to treat me like a lady.

I offer my thanks to my mom for the godly example she set before me and all she has taught me; and my deepest gratitude out to my godly father-in-law, who led by example teaching my sweet husband to treat his wife as nothing short of a lady.

I encourage you to raise your daughters to be godly ladies and your sons to be godly gentlemen.