Say Goodbye To The Dress

I just sold my wedding dress on eBay. It went for $154.49. Really it was a relief just to get it out of my closet. I hated running into it when I would look for the camping gear or winter jackets. It still held a twinge of pain and loss. Some of my friends thought I should have hung onto it for my daughter’s sake. But I say when she’s ready to marry, she’ll have a “perfect” dress in mind for herself, and I don’t want her to feel she has to pay homage to Mommy’s sad old-timey dress just because it’s been hanging in the back of the closet all these years. I have sold most of the original wedding presents and a lot of the items my ex and I bought together over the years, as well as the few presents he gave me. I haven’t netted that much, but it feels great every time I tightly wind the bubble wrap around some object that reminds me of things better forgotten, or at least left in the past.

When I listed the dress, I carefully worded it not to say wedding. “It was worn only once and has been dry cleaned and stored. This was custom designed by me for a special event. The velvet is green with a blue backing color, so the dress literally shines in the sun like an opal. Please email me with any questions, and I will be happy to answer them or send additional pictures. Happy bidding!” The winner is planning on wearing it for a renaissance faire. I think it’s best she doesn’t know its tragicomic beginnings, or maybe she figured it out and doesn’t care because it’s not her baggage. Plus, it’s been dry cleaned.