Derby Hats

I wore my rich-person-hat today. It's really beautiful. It's white, kind of a synthetic straw with a very slight matching bow off to the side and a not-too-wide, not-too-slight brim. My sister calls it my derby hat. I love that title. Only the wealthy own derby hats.

I wore it to church today--after all, it is Easter--and everybody commented. "I love your hat!" "What a great Easter bonnet!" "You look great!" "Of course! An Easter hat!" I really was quite surprised at the responses. But it was fun.

I wore it with a nice dress, nice sandals, simple earrings. My outfit worked. I looked wealthy--or at least as if I was raised wealthy. (Neither are true--which is why I can center an entire post on it.)

As my husband and I drove home from our family's Easter lunch, we both got emotional as we discussed the likelihood of him losing his job. I certainly don't make much money. Quite frankly, we're already tight and now may be out of a job. Things aren't always how they look.

But as we drove home, acknowledging the Lord's power and presence in it all, I knew that it wasn't the hat that made my day. It was my relationship with my husband, reflecting his relationship with the Lord. And when my husband is close to Him, drawing strength and wisdom from Him, abandoning his ways for His--that is a very good relationship.

The fact is, I've wanted a hat from the custom hat-maker in Laguna Beach, CA for over two years now, but we just can't afford it. I suppose we could save up, but that kind of ruins the point. People who own hats like that can buy them at a whim. So I'm waiting for that day.

In the meantime, my grandma (who is wealthy--or at least married wealthy) gave me one of her hats--the one I wore today and the only one I own. She's one of those ladies who could buy such a hat on a whim. But she doesn't. Her relationship with her husband is not so rich, not so blessed. Her husband is set on living life his way--and he does.

Sometimes I want that CA hat so bad I can taste it. But for now I'll just wear the hand-me-down hat from Grandma. She is so generous to give me what she has; if only I could do that for her.