Making Space for Beauty
Photo by Rachel Kronlokken When I was growing up, my Aunt Esther bought Christmas dresses for the girls in my family, and a suit for my brother, every year. She was a teacher and eventually the principal at an elementary school. She supported my grandmother, but she was also often the benefactor to our family of ten, who lived on a pastor’s salary. Every November, therefore, you could find me pouring over the Sears and Roebuck catalog, trying to decide which would be my Christmas dress that year. Although we sewed skirts and dresses for ourselves, one store-bought dress every year inspired us in our small North Dakota outpost in the late 1950’s. I can vividly recall some of these dresses even now. About a deep rose-pink skirt, chosen when I was about 13, and its matching white blouse with pink roses embroidered on the collar, I earned a comment on my good taste from my mother. I am surprised now to find that my entire academic career, I wore dresses to classes. Without question!...
