So picking this up today was a pretty emotional moment for me. To most, it may seem like “no big deal”, but for me it was a really BIG deal! I remember so many times thinking that I needed to have my dress preserved….but it was never in the budget!
We certainly couldn’t afford it right after we were married and then it kept being pushed to the side for other family expenses! We started our journey to become debt free, and again the dress hung in the closet, in a bag, beads turning and all! Then debt freedom became a reality and the dress was stored away as we were building our new home! The week we started moving into our home, I sent the dress off for preservation!
So why was picking it up today so emotional? This dress is what I wore the day that Ralph Dillard said, “I do” to Jayden and I! This dress is what I wore the day that our family was born! This dress is what made Gunnar, Creed, and Cross say I was a princess the first time they watched our wedding video! This dress represents the beginning of a lifetime of wonderful memories and many more to come!
Guess what else? Part of me is thankful for the beads that are yellowed. It represents a bit of the struggle and what we have overcome together!!! I love this dress and all that it represents and I love that I get to see it every single day!!!
~Mauria Dillard
