Remembering Prom

It’s prom season! Oh, I remember mine well, as I am sure most people do. However, for some reason, I remember the date was May 10, 1986 – 26 ago today. Brian and I had been dating for about 10 months. Four years later, we were married.

I have watched Ashley go to three proms and all of the excitement that goes with prom – shopping for the “perfect” dress and jewelry, getting nails and hair done, taking endless pictures, and waiting up late to hear all about the evening by a very, tired girl.

Ashley Prom 2009

Ashley Prom 2010

Ashley Prom 2011

As I reminisced today about my prom and Ashley’s proms, I was saddened to realize that Brielle will never go to prom.

Daddy Daughter Dance 2010

Spring Dance 2010

Brielle loves to dance. She has been to other dances – Daddy Daughter dances and a Spring Dance just for special needs kids. But, prom is a unique experience, one Brielle will never have.

Even if we did not homeschool, I wonder if Brielle would go to prom. It is difficult to imagine who would ask her and how she would manage without me being there to help her. Our local district has a separate prom kids with special needs can attend. That does not mean they are “excluded” from the traditional prom. It’s just a different outlet for them. If we did not homeschool, I wonder if Brielle would have gone to that prom.

My Prom (with Brian)
May 10, 1986

Prom is one of the few casualties of homeschooling. I know that there is a prom for local homeschoolers, but how would she fit it? Today, I am just feeling a little melancholy thinking about the prom Brielle will never go to as I remember mine.