Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Something Blue

They say history repeats itself. If that means I'll turn out anything like my Grandma, I'd say that's a good thing.

My Grandma Scott (or just "Grandma," since she's the only one I've known) passed away last week. All of the family was there and the funeral was lovely. And it got me thinking, not so much about death, but about life, and the life well lived. It also made me think of blue dresses.

Grandma wore a blue dress to her high school graduation in 1936. Lyle Scott, who she had met at a Gold and Green Ball, gave her an engagement ring for a graduation gift and they were married three days later. She wore the same blue dress to her wedding that she wore to graduation.


Almost 30 years later, Lylene Scott went on a date with Ron Bennett. He took her to a dance at Rigby High School and she wore a blue velvet dress. Dad teased her that night by singing a popular song: "She wore blue velvet ... bluer than velvet was the night."

A generation later, I pulled on my favorite dress — you guessed it, in blue — and curled my hair for a dance at BYU-Idaho. Ryan Olaveson had asked me to go after I saw him country dancing at BYU-Idaho, and LeaDawn and Daniel said they'd tag along.

Little did I know then that it was the day I'd eat my first meal at my in-laws' house and dance for the first time with my husband. I had no idea that I would follow in Grandma's footsteps and marry the boy I met at a dance.

I guess it's history repeating. Grandma started something wonderful with that blue dress. She married a wonderful man, and as they followed in her footsteps, so did her daughter and granddaughter.

I think I'll buy my daughter a blue dress one day.