Fashion for Seniors

I went to visit Mom K at her nursing home, and offered to take her to the mall to see the Christmas decorations. She was not thrilled, seemed confused, but after a good bit of convincing, I got her coat on her. As we headed out the door, the activities director stopped me.
"Are you staying for the fashion show?" she asked us.
"Fashion show?"
"Some of the residents will model and Stein Mart is sponsoring it along with Mary Kay cosmetics."
In the dining room, a red runway had been rolled out. Chairs were lined up on either side. Hors-d'oeuvres were arranged on a platter in the entry room: cheese, crackers, dip, xmas cookies and punch.
"Sure," I said, "Want to stay, Mom?"
"Why not?" she said.
So we got prime position along the runway, after gathering a plate of goodies.
One of the models was Shirley, a table mate of Mom K. Shirley never stops smiling. Her face seems frozen in a smile. She is relatively spry for the Home, still walks tall with the use of a cane to aid her balance. The other models were workers and adult children of the residents, but the last model was a resident. She was a bit more feeble than Shirley, and walked down the runway on the arm of one of the tall strong males. From our vantage point, at first all we could see was her top half. She wore a slinky silk blue dress, lovely gold flashy jewelry and artfully made-up face, courtesy of Mary Kay cosmetics. Her eyes glittered at least as brightly as the dress, and she smiled, looking straight ahead as she tottered down the runway. She looked lovely. When she reached our end, and was in full view, I could see the completion of her ensemble- white bobby socks and flat house shoes. Of course you could not dress a 90 year old woman in stilettos, but the white ankle socks with the lovely dress were a somewhat jarring note.

"You look gorgeous!" called out the crowd along the runway. She smiled, and hung onto the arm of her escort.
"I have no idea what I'm doing," she whispered to him.
"You are doing just fine," he said, patting her arm.
The facility director snapped several photographs, telling her she looked stunning.
She beamed back at him.

Next there was a little seminar on how to tie a scarf. I learned a very intricate and lovely new way to tie a scarf. The announcer enumerated at least a thousand reasons why everyone should have a scarf. I do not have a scarf, but after the fashion show, I raced out to Stein Mart and got one, now that I know how to tie it. I have an interview this weekend for my new book I'm working on, and reason #576 for a scarf is that is gives that professional completion to any outfit.

By the third hour of sitting in the somewhat warm Home and enjoying time with Mom K, and then the fashion show, I was a little woozy. But I was glad I had gone. I almost never walk in that Home when there is not something wonderful and interesting happening. The Activities Director loves God, and her influence and hope is evident in everything she does for the residents. The nicest part of the whole affair was seeing a crowd cheer a 90 year old woman for looking so lovely in a splendid dress and ankle socks. The flurry and worry of holiday preparations are raging around us all. No one has the time for all the love and kindness we wish we could pour out on those we come into contact with. But here, in a small assisted living home in South Charlotte, the presence of God's love shines as brightly as the star that guided the wise men so long ago to the manger of the baby whose love would change a world. I left the Home thinking that love is still changing the world.

Colossians 1:3-6,9-12 (NIV)
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people--- [5] the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel [6] that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world---just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. [9] For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.












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