Seeing Inner Beauty

In my job I see a lot of things.  Some make you smile, some make you laugh, same make you cry and some break your heart.  I think the ones that get to me the most are the women who don't see their own beauty, inside and out.  Today was a day that broke my heart but ended in a small triumph.

Near the end of the day a mom and her two daughters walked in to my store to look for grad dresses.  hey noticed the sign on the door on their way in that said "appointments recommended" and were a little worried but I reassured them that we would be able to fit them in in about 10 minutes and brought them to the grad section to start browsing.  I went back to my appointment which was just wrapping up and finished everything with them.  Just as I finished I noticed that the family was back near the front of the store preparing to leave.  I asked the girl if she saw any dresses that she liked and she was very shy with me.  She barely made eye contact and gave very short answers to all my questions.  With a little encouragement from her mom we convinced her to come back in and at least try on a few gowns to see what she was liking.  I went back in to the grad section with them to help her pick out some gowns.  She seemed like she really didn't want to be there and really wasn't giving me much help with what she wanted in a gown.  Her mom picked one to get us started and I took her back to the dressing room.

In case you are new to this blog or are unaware of what I do for a living, let me fill you in.  I manage a full-service Bridal Salon.  If you've ever seen the TLC show "Say Yes to the Dress" you have a very good idea of what I do.  I help you pick gowns, and I dress you in them.  There are many reasons our store does this, but I digress.  I took this young woman back to the dressing area and explained to her that I would be helping her into the gowns.  She got a very fearful look in her eyes and nearly bolted for the door.  Her sister stopped her and told her it would be ok and how she wished that someone had helped her into the dresses when she went shopping for her grad dress.  I have dealt with shy girls before, but her reaction was quite extreme.  We provide slips for our customers to wear on their lower body so they don't feel overly exposed when we come in the room with them in their undergarments.  I suggested that she pull the slip up over her chest if it made her more comfortable.  The first time I went into the dressing room with her and saw her without her street clothes on, my heart broke.  She was a very beautiful girl who obviously didn't see that in herself.  She stood with her shoulders slumped forward, her hair pulled in front of her chest and her hands clamped tightly across her stomach.  Her arms were covered from her shoulders to wrists in scars.  Hundreds of small angry white lines.  I realized that this poor thing had inflicted each of these scars on herself at one time.  She had even carved a small heart into her chest which now shone white with the gleam of scar tissue.  I waned to scoop her up and tell her everything gets better and not to give up.  My heart melted and it became m mission to help this girl find a dress that would make her see some of her own beauty when she looked in the mirror.  It took some time and coaxing to get her to tell me what she liked but eventually we began to narrow things down.  Her mom and sister were so supportive of her.  Eventually, I pulled a dress off of one of the mannequins in the window and put her in it.  For the first time that day, I saw a smile on her face.  She began to shine and see herself in a new light.  Her shoulders held a little higher and her hair pulled back over her shoulders.  She didn't even try to cover herself with her hands but planted them firmly on her hips for a picture.  Her mom bought her the dress and they left the store happy.

I'd like to think that I made a small difference in her life, even if just for a short while.  I don't do these things because I want someone to remember me or think I'm amazing.  I don't even want to take any credit for finding the perfect dress for someone.  I do take a great deal of personal satisfaction in those little moments when I can make a girl see something special when she looks in the mirror.  If you have never taken the time to see the inner beauty in a random stranger, try it!  Once you see it, try to make them see what you see.  Sometimes all it takes is a little smile.