Another lesson that Susan/ Little Sister Hallel shared with her family and those that had eyes to see...

Susan was never invited to the prom.. .In her senior year... She suggested that a group of girls get dressed up and go together to the prom.  She is wearing her sister, Maria's, prom dress and is holding a homemade bouquet that it made by mom from flowers in her garden!  They thought that it would be fun to arrive to the prom on the Mat bus as their limo to drive them there.  Thus they stepped off the community bus system for those that are in need of a ride to the grocery store or wherever... in their finery and had probably a lot more fun than a lot of "couples" that were thrown uncomfortably together to just say that they have a date to prom!  Around our house... we have a bad taste for Prom... all of our girls except for one either never went or went with girlfriends - Ruth went as a senior to someone she barely knew...  We feel that as Susan modeled... it should just be a big senior party where everyone can dress up and have a good time as a class... all this pairing up is for the birds!  It is stupid and encourages bad things to happen with the pairing up!  It is a relief now that they offer night long activities for the kids! 

I should share with you John's prom experience - he went only his senior year with a "nice" girl that was not a girlfriend but I think a girl that reminded him of his sisters...  She bought her dress from a place in South Dakota that sold "modest" dresses for weddings and formals.  They talked about their faith outlook as she was from a strict faith other than John's Catholic...but it was an interesting evening of give and take and they each went their own ways from that night forward.  When we had an appreciation party at Ruth and Paul's on the 4th of July last year for all those that had poured their concern and prayer support over us as we discovered that John had cancer... She and her boyfriend, who had been in many plays with John over the years, came to show their support to John.  It was good to see that there continues to be mutual respect and concern between John and those that shared those difficult high school years with him...