Inside my snowglobe.....where dreams come true.....

Christmas shopping at a handful of little stores---oohing and aahing over shoes and boots and sweaters and funky jewelry. Laughing over lunch at one of our fav places. Picking up chai lattes to fuel up for a little more retail therapy at the mall. My daughter and I. It's what my dreams are made of. And, it's come true. Want to hear another? Not having to shop exclusively in "woman's stores". It's happened---I'm allowed in normal stores now. Well, it's not the same kind of dream-come-true as spending the day with my daughter. But, still, it feels nice and makes me smile. Plus, it enhances the whole shopping with my daughter experience. Anyway, it's a surprise dream-come-true since I never knew I had the dream to begin with. I like the fact that my daughter and I can both walk into the same store and both be able to buy something. No, no.....I'm not buying belly shirts and low slung jeans (but, gosh, wouldn't it be just a little bit fun if I could?) at the same places my daughter shops. It's just that I've entered the world of XL and most stores sell XL. But, only women's stores sell XXXL. Anyway, as Toni and I inched closer to Lane Bryant during our lovely mom-daughter shopping day, I could see her happy demeanor fade (she does not like that store)---"want to stop there?" she asked. "Nope" I answered. "Oh....." she uttered, her smile returning. "I'm looking for Christopher and Banks. I wonder if they have one here," I said, thinking about a cute holiday sweater that I saw that might be nice for my office party this coming week. As we walked in, I let out one of those "I've arrived" sighs as I breathed in my surroundings. This was a place where I could only peer in the windows. And, now, there I was---inside. I felt oh so triumphant. Lingering at a display of pretty sweaters, I imagined myself wearing the pretty red Santa one as I did pirouettes around the store. Snow softly fell. Bing Crosby sang "White Christmas". Shoppers, applauded as I gracefully twirled by them in my XL Santa sweater. "Is this your first time in here?" my daughter asked---nudging me out of my snow globe. "Yes, it is."
Dreams are a funny thing. Sometimes you don't know you have them until you find yourself experiencing one of them come true---like my foray into the non-plus size store world. But, I always dreamed of that sweet little moment shared between a mother and a daughter Christmas shopping.....both of them carrying packages and smiling. Many years ago, I was the daughter in that dream. Now, I am the mother. The same dream. And, it's come true. Christmas shopping. Mothers. Daughters. Size XL. I'm blessed.