Prom Season

There are some things really memorable about high school. Friends, sports, teachers…football games. Prom.

Did you go to your high school prom? I went my senior year but not my junior year. I wasn’t asked. Come to think of it, I didn’t get asked to a single homecoming dance either. When I was in high school-you went to those things with a date. No date? No dance. End of story. Nowadays, lots of kids go in groups. No pressure. It’s better that way, I think.

Anyway, yesterday marked a big ‘Mom’ event for me. I took my daughter prom dress shopping. For the last time. This May will mark the fourth year in a row that PROM has been on the calendar at our house. For the first two years, it was all about my son. Prom preparations involved renting a tuxedo and helping him pay for the dinner and the limo his group went around the city in.

Now, it wasn't completely without drama. There were ‘prom try-outs’ (as my husband and I privately called them). This involved him asking various girls over to our house. He’d hang out with them. Watch a movie. Our son was concerned about the amount of time he’d have to spend in the date’s company-between pictures and dinner and prom and after prom and after prom breakfast…it could be twelve hours. He never wanted to take an annoying girl.

But other than that, Prom was a piece of cake for his dad and me. He asked a girl. Took her. Had fun. Came home. End of story.

I should have known it was too easy.

Last year marked year one of Prom with my daughter. And with my daughter came girl drama. First, she had a boyfriend (no prom tryouts there!) but no dress. Then, of course, two weeks before the big dance, she had a dress and shoes and hair appointments...but no boyfriend. Just tears.

After that came Plan B. She was going with a group of girls, which involved numerous discussions about transportation and restaurants. Then the boys came back. She had multiple invitations….finally chose one….and then there were more plans (Plan C) to iron out.

In the end, somehow my husband and I ended up hosting an after prom breakfast. Which meant at 3:00 am, 40 kids arrived at our house. Tired and hungry. And loud.

So, obviously it’s with more than a little trepidation as we prepare for this year’s Prom. Right now? Things seem good. Date? Check. Dress? Check. Someone else volunteering to host middle of the night breakfast? Yes!

All that’s great. What’s not is that Prom is six weeks away. Anything can happen during that time, and I’m sure it will.

Next year we won’t be doing the Prom season two-step. Our daughter will be off to college. Like my son, chances are she’ll have far more fun and interesting things to plan for than a high school dance.

But for now? It’s all about my senior. Because one thing is certain: One day, years from now, she'll be sitting around with friends and remembering Prom preparations. She’ll probably laugh…and wonder why it had all seemed like such a very big deal. Until she has kids of her own.

Anyone want to share a prom story with me? Either yours or one of your kids? I sure hope I’m not the only person to be besieged with prom drama…

Shelley Galloway