The Prom

So I did get to go to my first prom after all.
In my formative years it never happened for me. I had a brother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, when I was 16. In those days not much was understood about mental illness. In my own mind It was my fault, for not protecting him enough. Much of my high school senior year I was in survival mode, wondering about hope going forward. I became interested in church and God willing I hoped to come to peace with why God could allow my brother's mental illness to happen.
Well almost fifty years later I got to go as a staff person with four mentally handicapped adults. And yes it was well worth the wait. I helped bathe and dress the four guys who were all excited to go and meet with the girls they asked to go to the prom.
One of the guys had "two dates" and bought two corsages for them. The only problem was that neither of his dates showed up. That did not keep him from having fun as several ladies took pictures with him and had him sing a couple of his favorite songs. "Taking care of Business" and "do run run"

Another one of the guys asked out a staff person all the guys took a liking to. It did not matter that he was sixty and she was barely twentyish. She was all dressed up in a Cinderella type gown. He is one of the more handicapped guys at our house with back issues and arthritis. His smile was radiant.
Our youngest guy was in her thirties full of enthusiasm to see his "honey" who had just got out of the hospital with respiratory issues and had a trache. They were both in wheel chairs flashing smiles. He sang to his "girl", the country song "I got friends in low places...". Oh love, even for those the world calls mentally handicapped.
The other guy was wheelchair bound. His girl also showed up. He demonstrated he could dance and enjoy music. He is well into his fifties. Once I found some gluten free food for him and decaf coffee he was in paradise. I would have to say making it to the prom was worth the wait.