A Sweet Experience

I once had this friend who purchased a $200 coat.

It was a beautiful coat, I mean, all of us girls were dragging our tongue drooling over it.  And she wore it like she knew it.  It was hot.

And I remember thinking, "I can't imagine spending that much on something for myself."

Not that I wouldn't or couldn't.  But nothing had ever appealed to me on that level.

I thought about this while I was shopping at Ross today.  There was this really cute red and yellow and white eyelet flower dress that just clutched my heart and refused to let go.  It traveled around the store with me in my shopping cart.  It shook it's perfect bosom at me as I eyed other items, reminding me that she was the only one for me.  I knew she was right.

It was just one of those dresses that you know would make you feel pretty.

As I walked up to the front of the store to purchase the gift I had originally gone to Ross to purchase, I hung the dress back up.

It was only $13, and I have been wearing my husbands deceased aunts Sunday clothes for a few years now, and I have lost a significant amount of weight that would warrant this "extravagant" purchase...still...I hung it up.

And I didn't feel bad.  Not at all.  Not in the least.

And it wasn't until I saw the look on Brett's face as I told him about it, just in passing conversation, that I realized what a wonderful experience it was. "Why didn't you get it?"  he asked.  I shrugged my shoulders, "We couldn't afford it.  It'll be there later, I'm sure.  And if not, there will be other dresses."  And I really felt that.  It reminded me of this sweet talk given at GC in April 2009 by Elder Hales.

"The first lesson was learned when we were newly married and had very little money. I was in the air force, and we had missed Christmas together. I was on assignment overseas. When I got home, I saw a beautiful dress in a store window and suggested to my wife that if she liked it, we would buy it. Mary went into the dressing room of the store. After a moment the salesclerk came out, brushed by me, and returned the dress to its place in the store window. As we left the store, I asked, “What happened?” She replied, “It was a beautiful dress, but we can’t afford it!” Those words went straight to my heart. I have learned that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”"

I felt a sweet sense of approval from my Heavenly Father.  It wasn't about the dress, or the $13, it was about the sacrifice.  And the look of mingled guilt and love on my husbands face made me feel beautiful and wonderful in his eyes, no matter how frumpy I feel in my over sized, monotoned Sunday clothes.  And I love him for that.