Wedding Tears

When my sister got married, she asked to wear my mother's wedding dress. The day she tried it on for the first time, I was sitting with Mother in the living room as Andrea descended the stairs. The gown was a
perfect fit on her petite frame.
Mother's eyes welled with tears. I put my arm around her. "Don't cry, remember you're not losing a daughter, you're gaining a son."
"Oh, I'm not crying about that!" she said with a sob. "I used to fit into that dress!"
Originally published June 23, 2004.