The last 2 Saturdays, my Facebook feed has been bombarded by photos of prom dresses. Knowing I missed out on my senior prom makes me feel slightly abnormal, not going to lie. Ever since I turned 16, I was always confused as to why no one ever asked me to a dance. I was stood up literally 2 days before my junior prom and had many other similar disappointments. BUT, guess what I have learned… My beauty, potential, and worth is not and should not be contingent upon whether or not I ever went to a high school dance (that wasn’t girl’s choice). For awhile, I could not understand why my high school experience was so different from all the pictures I was seeing on Facebook. Then, I realized that life isn’t about prom dresses…life is about progressing in a way that makes YOU the best version of yourself. For some, that progression includes going to high school dances. For me, it didn’t. Back then, I would have never been thankful for all of the stand-up dates and disappointments I experienced. But now, I can’t imagine my life without them. I am who I am because of the pain I had to experience. At times, I felt alone. However, I am thankful for that loneliness because it made me love my family more than I could ever iterate. T
hank you to my siblings for helping me “laugh it off”.. Thank you to my dad for priesthood blessings and telling me I am beautiful..
hank you to my siblings for helping me “laugh it off”.. Thank you to my dad for priesthood blessings and telling me I am beautiful..
Most of all, thank you to my perfect-for-me mother for teaching me to walk through inevitable adversity with a smile on my face.This is probably the strangest way to wish my mom a Happy Mother’s Day… But I don’t care. Mom, thank you for letting me buy that prom dress of my dreams even though it never was put to use. Thank you for holding my heart when I couldn’t do it myself. Most of all, thank you for helping me realize how much life exists beyond prom dresses and dates in high school. My life I owe to you. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!
See another story about Eliza and her Mom here.
Story written by: Eliza Merrill
This story appeared on Real Imprints.
Eliza…what a beautiful and inspiring message! You radiate beauty from within because of who you are! Thank you for being you!
A wonderful story of courage. Thank you for sharing Eliza. Your example and attitude will be a source of strength for many others. You have a great family.
Can I just say AMEN!
I didn’t really go to very much of high school because I moved out of the country for a year. I went to 2 dances during my whole time in high school and never a formal one. I felt the same way for some time; that I had missed out…But its true that I was doing other things besides going to dances, and those other things have made me who I am.
Thank you for your positive spirit and outlook!!! Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone!
Dear Eliza,
Thanks for writing your story. I know how heart breaking this is for you now in your high school years, as some of my girls experienced the same thing. Your life is completely different from the rest of your classmates. It’s hard to keep friends and be in the main stream when your gone every summer, each year it’s like starting over and it isn’t easy. I found that in small places, if your not doing what every one else is doing there’s a lot of jealousy. Now that that time is past for my girls, they all look back on their wonderful experiences of growing up in the Playmill and with the Playmill. Their experiences are completely different from their classmates. The experiences you’ve had will be a boon to you all your life, and you’ll be so thankful for them. Look forward to your college experience, where you’ll meet new people from all over everywhere and you’ll have a lot in common with them because of the things you’ve done in your life. Know that lots of people love you. I look forward to seeing you perform this summer, you bring lots of happiness to lots of people. I love you.
What a great piece! I can’t imagine anyone so beautiful being stood up! Whoever it was has no idea what he missed out on! I applaud you and your family for understanding what’s really important in life and for helping you to move forward to better things. Keep writing!
I agree Phyllis! She has a way with words and can be such a great and strong example of goodness! Keep writing Eliza!:-)