DEAR ABBY: When my daughter was in college, she worked part-time as a coach in a nearby high school. One of the girls on the squad confided that she wouldn't be attending her senior prom because she didn't have the money to buy a dress. My daughter immediately offered to lend her one -- with shoes and jewelry to go with the outfit. The kid was thrilled.
Advertisement
Last spring while I was cleaning out closets, I saw that my daughter had accumulated several gowns from wedding parties and school formals that she was never going to wear again. Remembering her experience while she was coaching, we decided together to phone a nearby public high school to see if they knew of any girls who might need a gown for their prom.
A woman in the school's administration office was delighted to hear from us. When we dropped off the items, the broad smile on the face of the school official told us the need was great.
Abby, please remind your female readers that when they clean out their closets, they can donate their gowns to a high school. In doing so, they have the opportunity to give a girl who might not be able to go to the prom a happy memory. -- JUST A MOM IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR JUST A MOM: What a wonderful suggestion. We have all read the story of Cinderella -- but few of us realize that we, too, can fulfill the role of fairy godmother. We may not be able to provide a glass slipper or a handsome prince, but we can help to make a deserving girl's dream come true.