I have been known to offer the following explanation for my quirks: “I was raised by wolves.” I am not sure if Dear Sister (DS) also uses this shorthand language. But I know she will back me on everything here.
Daddy Wolf raised his daughters to be fierce. The lesson took better with me than DS, but we both have a strong survival instinct.
Mama Wolf is a different kind of wolf. Here she is looking stunningly wolfish in the early 1960s, at a formal dance in college with dad tucked behind her.
As glamorous as she was, she did not teach her wolflings about things like hairdos, fashion, or make-up. Dear Mom reads the blog, and I can already hear the retort: “There was no teaching you anything!” We’ll never know, will we?
In case you think her polished look was reserved for formal dances, here she is the day after my birth.
I could, but I will not, share a photo of what I looked like in the dawn of motherhood.
I have been left to my own devices to figure out girl stuff.
Friends and supporters suggested to me that jewelry, brushed hair, and make-up would be appropriate for Son 1’s wedding. I did have some jewelry to choose from and owned a functioning hair brush. Check! Check!
But the pesky make-up situation: what to do about that? Fortunately at the time, I was working in an administrative office with a lot of make-up wearing women, including a set of wonderful student workers at the front desk. In the months leading up to the wedding, I tried different lip colors. Actual colors, not just gloss. And I could get immediate feedback as I walked into the office suite each morning.
I tried to “get out of my comfort zone” with the intensity of the color. One day I showed up in the office with BRIGHT RED lipstick on. “What do you think?” I asked the students at the desk. “Ummmm….” They were too polite, so I had to say it for them: “It looks like I have been making out with Ronald McDonald!”
One of those students, Gabi, was the most helpful of all. She suggested her favorite, Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick. One trip to Ulta and I had the goods.
For a while I harbored a secret fear (clearly no longer secret as I write this) that it would look like I had been making out with Gabi!
It turns out that fear was baseless because Black Honey is the most popular lip color in the U.S. So popular in part because it was the color that Liv Tyler’s Arwen wore in Lord of the Rings (LOTR). Perfect for a wedding where DH and I escorted Son 1 down the aisle to LOTR theme music, Concering Hobbits.
I wonder what Son 1 and Son 2 will say about their own upbringing: raised by wolves? Surely there is something more apt. Magpies? Tasmanian Devils? Honey Badgers?
I know what Grandson 1 will say: raised by Hobbits!
Love to all my dear ones. xo
Laura, I love this post for a couple of reasons:
I loved seeing the photos of your mom looking so glamorous in the shades of blue! And she’s still as stunning today. Next, growing up, I also didn’t receive a lot of help in regard to fashion and make-up, but I so love that your students, and office friends offered feed back and especially Gabi, who hooked you up with the number one selling lip collar in the US. Who knew? I’m going to order it now! From the smile on your face, your son’s wedding must’ve been a memorable day! Thank you for writing this piece, I enjoyed the photos and your memories.
CMSG
Mama Wolf truly was stunningly wolfish! You cover a lot of feelings and nostalgia – disguised in sheep’s clothing (humor) – in one little post. I love it.