So here’s your assignment: pick one thing that society defines a certain way, however small, and re-define it for yourself.
For me, it’s…house dresses, for lack of a better word. Here you see me having a “bless’ed laundry day” at my house. What’s different? A lot of things. But it started with a change in attitude toward something I’d spent my entire life sneering at.
Last summer, I’d told my daughters that I knew our house would have a lot more occupants in the fall. There was a definite pull toward more socializing and more friendships and relationships. I also felt drawn to changing my at-home wardrobe. In other words, time to get rid of that Xena t-shirt from a decade ago and relish being a little more…attractive…in my own environment. I wanted comfort but I wanted to look at least a little sexy while doing chores around the house but not so sexy that chores could not get done. I hate wearing bras and shoes in my own home, natural girl that I am. I settled on four or five cheap sundresses that were comfy, cool, and fun.
I’m feeling the draw of Spring again now, and again, I want to be comfortable around the house and still presentable whenever company shows up unexpectedly. I started thinking more about the idea of house dresses and why I’ve always had a disdain for them.
When I was a little girl, we would visit women around the community, often when their husbands weren’t around and the women were up to doing chores and visiting at the same time. Looking back, these women were probably all at least in their 30’s, which would have been around my mom’s age at that time. We would arrive at their homes and the washing machines would be chugging away and maybe a cake on the countertop waiting to be frosted with chocolate icing. The women were smiling and happy to see us, but they weren’t exactly attractively dressed. They usually wore “house dresses,” particularly moo-moo’s. The ones who were overweight (and I was so skinny that they all would have seemed plump to me) wore volumes of bright material that looked like tents for the church revival. The dresses were formless, ugly things.
So I have decided to re-define the house dress. I’ve picked out several flowy, flowery, pretty, dresses made of soft fabric and with a penchant for showing off the shoulders or legs, and bought them on the spot. House dresses have become a sensuous experience for me when I’m running around doing chores or just relaxing for the evening–and I’m never in a panic if I get a call from one of the men I see saying, Hey, I’m driving into town tonight and do you mind if I drop in and watch some TV with you for a while? Why should I panic? I’m already very relaxed and happy.
What’s one thing you’ve always turned up your nose at? Is there a better way to define it and shape it into something wonderful for you?
Leave a Reply