When I was in elementary school, the school decided to have a fashion show. I don’t know whose bright idea it was but it doesn’t make sense. Why would an elementary school have a fashion show? Beats me. Maybe it wasn’t a fashion show. Maybe my memories aren’t as clear as they used to be.

Anyway, my mom was a fantastic seamstress. No, nothing professional but she made some of the clothes my sisters and I wore. So, she made my sisters and me matching dresses and we were entered in the fashion show!

I was scared shitless being only 10 or 11 years old but I was the lead in this model trio and it was my job to make sure my sisters (ages 6 and 2 approximately) did what they were supposed to do on stage. Ugh. My middle sister did pretty well but the littlest wanted to run around like a banshee. I was petrified! I had to hold her hand and keep her under control while we turned and showed our lovely dresses. We were taught to curtsy when we finished, but I don’t remember my sisters doing it. I was too focused on keeping the littlest sister from running right off the edge of the stage!

At the end of our “performance,” the crowd cheered and at that very moment I was in awe of my mother and her mad sewing skills! My mother actually won that fashion show competition!

I know now or think I know, that it wasn’t so much the dresses that won. That was part of it of course, but it was really the whole package. Not just one dress but three dresses. Not just one model but three models. Unique. Plus watching a little rugrat running around on stage and me trying to keep her from killing herself surely added to the entertainment value!

I have what I thought was a photo of us in those dresses, but the dresses don’t match. Maybe mom didn’t make matching dresses after all. As I said, my memories may not be as clear as they used to be. But here’s that faded photo anyway!