A couple of little wow's for me

My grandmothers were both small women. They were about 5'2" and wore a size 8 or 10 twenty, thirty, forty years ago... probably about equaly to the size 4/6 that I wear today. I remember thinking how small they were and that I'd never be that small. My great-grandmother was truly a large boned woman at about 5'10" and she probably wore a size 14 or 16. While I only stand 5'6" tall, I assumed that I was my like my great-grandmother and would never be 'small.' Well, I had two things happen this week that made me realize that I am.

I inherited a pair of slippers from my mother's mother that look almost like little gold genie slippers. She had a small, narrow size 7.5 foot. At my heaviest, I wore a size 9.5 or 10 wide. Now, I wear an 8 to 8.5 medium. At any rate, I have never been able to wear the slippers. I have kept them in my shoe rack for 20 years, but last week when I couldn't find my slippers I decided to try them on and I was able to wear them. I couldn't believe it and was absolutely delighted... I felt SOOOOOO close to my gramma and knew that if she could see me now she would be absolutely beaming.

I also inherited a beautiful suede coat with a mink collar and cuffs. It's a very fitted, princess cut. Again, I never had even been able to put one arm in it, much less wear it, but on a whim, I tried it on. Not only could I get an arm in, but I could fasten it all the way up the front. It fit like a glove. This coat belonged to the grandmother that always wanted me to lose weight. The one that always told me how beautiful I'd be if I'd just lose the weight. And while I know that she always thought I was pretty,... she'd be delighted if she could see me now.

 

Barb - those are wonderful WOW moments. Anything that reminds me of my Grandmothers (Mammy Margaret & Mammy Parker) are cherished memories. Every where I looked at Christmas time reminded me of them. One made the most delicate ornaments from felt and crochet. I had a tree full of them. My other one loved everything "foodie" about Christmas but she also loved Elvis's christmas record - so when I found it on CD I knew that would be how I remembered her this year (unlike the year she & Moma made 16 different pies).

Congratulations!!!!!

- Iris

Hi Iris,

Thanks and I'm glad that my story brought back fond memories of your own dear grandmothers. Grandmothers are such a special part of our lives aren't they?

Thanks again,

Barb..  WOW.. those are huge WOWs!  I am proud of what you have accomplished and know that your journey has not been one of all smooth roads during the past year and a half.  However, you have come out of this stronger, more compassionate and a very supportive friend to many.  I know that when your grandmothers are looking down on you know that they are proud of all you have accomplished. 

Have a super day and wear those items with pride!

Thank you and please know that I a really do appreciate the friendships I have enjoyed here at OH. I am honored to have you as a friend.

Barbara, that is a HUGE wow!  It brought tears to my eyes just thinking about it.  I truely loved both of my grandmothers and cheerish every memory of them.  Thanks for sharing as this brought back those beautiful memories yet again.

I was very fortunate that neither of my grandmothers "saw" that I was so heavy.  They were truely blind to that fact and only conveyed love and acceptance for who I was.  So all I ever felt was love from them.  But I really wish they could both see me now!

By the way you may have been "pretty" to your grandmother, but you are truely beautiful to all of us, both inside and out.  You have so much warmth and love for everyone and it truely show.

Thanks for being you..............Carrie

Hi Carrie,

Thanks so much for kind, lovely note. My mother's mother just loved my for who I was and never really tried to 'change' me or 'improve' me. My father's mother was a truly beautiful woman; she looked so much like the screen star Lana Turner that people would mistake her for Ms. Turner. At any rate, she really valued physical beauty and when I was very young she was thrilled that I was so 'beautiful', but as I matured and grew heavier and heavier, she really tried everything she knew to get me to lose the weight because she thought I would be soooo beautiful thin. It was really hard for me and caused quite a rift. As she aged, she was still a beautiful woman, but her physical beauty faded and waned with the ravages of age. It was as she aged and came to know me more as a fully 'rounded'... forgive the pun ... person that she accepted and embraced me for the person that I was. I have to say that as painful as it was for her to judge me based on my beauty, I have to admit that my grandmother was right in some respects. I am perceived as more beautiful now ... by others and somewhat by myself. I don't think that I'm more or less beautiful inside and the perceptions of that beauty are only surface beauty because if you peel off the clothes .... well, there's another story. I guess this is the long way around the block to say that it took her a long time to see that I was indeed beautiful, no matter my weight and it took me a long time to see that I am now beautiful without the excess weight.

Thanks again for your support and kindness,

Barb~
As a big collector of Vintage Fashion, your treasures made me drool! I collect Vintage clothing from the 1950s and as you know everyone was toothpick thin back then! most waistlines on the dresses are 26-27 inches. I also have a coat like you describe!! I also have a Red wool Day coat that I found that I love!! I have lots of vintage dresses that a year ago would of been laughable to even try to fit in!! How fantastic for you that you fit in these Vintage classics way to go!

Darcie

I think maybe we should do a virtual fashion show!

Enjoy your goodies. They sound fabulous!

congradulations Barbara,,,, what an awesome feeling it must be!