Praying To The Thrift Gods.

I don't know if this is a product of the laws of attraction, but Thrift Gods are real.  They rarely fail me.  I simply place my wish into the universe, and it is granted.  I've mentioned this to my son - the young thrift Padawan - but it's always nice to see a little instant thrift karma work its magic.  This past Saturday, he accompanied me on my yard saling adventure and told me that he "just wanted to find one piece of his prom outfit."  He had one picked out to rent, but I told him to just try thrifting it - it would be cheaper and better.  He told me this as we wandered through a local neighborhood having a community sale.  I told him to just put it into the universe and he would find it.  We wandered for about another block and came to another sale in the community at which we found some useful housewares that also had a lot of clothes.  Clothes that had been packed in those hanging boxes.  Rather randomly, the nice lady running the sale turned to my son and asked - I shit you not - "Do you need a suit for anything?  Maybe for prom?"  My son just looked at me and I said, "Well, as a matter of fact he does." The nice lady and her husband pulled out an immaculate high-end black suit.  My son tried on the jacket while the nice lady's husband buttoned up the jacket with a big smile on his face, like he was sending his own son to prom.  It fit perfectly.  It fit as thought it had been tailored for him.  Even if it was just the jacket, it would have been awesome, but the pants were his size, too - just needing a little hemming.

Apparently the clothes belong to a fellow who was dying of cancer.  He was a very sharp dresser, and the folks running the sale seemed pleased as punch to know that this suit was going to be worn to my son's prom.  For a minute, it was like they were his own grandparents - something upon which my children seriously got the short end of the stick.  The nice lady even threw a crisp, white dress shirt at no extra charge.

Twenty-five bucks.  Out the door.  And, he's going to be the best looking kid there.

Duckie Dale would be proud.

~Katie