One of the most difficult things a parent has to deal with is the unfairness of the world which inflicts all our kids from time to time. However, when that unfairness hits certain milestones which are supposed to be joyous occasions such as the Senior Prom, the evident hurt is much deeper for the parent because there’s nothing that can be done to make it better. As parents, we can give our kids a hug and tell them that this will pass because we know that there will be future joys, but we also know that for our child what happened was just hurtful and unfortunate. Really, that hurt can be almost anything and good parents will understand why this parent won’t rehash the events or the aftermath.
Then there comes along the right person at the right time.
In addition to being a high school student, my daughter also attends college. Within the walls of higher education are a hodge podge of people from many different walks of life. One such young man heard my about my daughter’s horrible Prom experience and announced that it was time to attend Roller Prom. She came home perplexed, but excited. The night would consist of getting dressed up for Prom, dinner out at a nice restaurant, and then dancing all night at the skating rink. These college teens and young adults love the skating rink and apparently they had plans to skate anyway, but in the face of a tragedy this young man rose to the occasion of making a pretty girl feel better. When she asked me what I thought, I told her, “You only live once.”
Of course I had to take a picture when he showed up in a suit. She rolled her eyes and he stated that his Mom would have done the same thing. However, neither of them knew that my diabolical plan was to ensure they would be expected at the skating rink. This required a quick upload to Facebook as well as a name tag to my friend, Ed, who owns the skating rink.
Her night was magical. She announced that it was the best Prom ever. As a parent my heart soared. Thank you to the young man who knew how to turn a negative into a positive, and thank you to the skating rink for taking the winning Prom picture.
Hughes, Ed. “Roller Prom.” Northland Rolladium Skate Center. Facebook, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.
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