When A Statement Works Better Than A Question

Speaking of prom, I’m happy to report that “the ask” was simple, inexpensive, and…weirdly-timed.

Last fall I wrote about “The Ask” and how it’s a new-ish tradition for high schoolers to come up with all kinds of crazy/romantic/funny/creative ways to ask each other to a dance. I wrote about how I think on one hand it’s cute, but on the other it concerns me on behalf of the less-creative and/or shy kids, and I feel like it puts pressure on the “asker” to do something spectacular and on the “askee” to say yes. (Seriously, just go read it.)

J and his girlfriend have been dating for over two years, and they had already planned on going to prom together. We’d had many conversations about prom at the dinner table with J, and he kept talking about how he needed to figure out how he was going to ask her, officially. About a week ago I told him that I wanted to get his tux reserved so he would be able to pick from a better selection (the early bird catches the tux he wants to wear), and he said, “Okay, maybe we can do that in the next couple of days and I’ll figure out how to ask her AFTER THAT.”

I said, “No no no…I get it that you’re dating her already and you have already discussed the prom, but you need to do your ask before we rent a tux. First things first!” (I know, silly right?)

His problem was coming up with an idea, and I get it. He wanted to do something nice and sweet but not extravagant (thank goodness). He had already done balloons. He didn’t want to do chocolates.

Finally, I had an idea, and he loved it. It was simple, meaningful, inexpensive, and she could not only use it at prom but she could keep it indefinitely.

I took him to a beading store.

Selecting the beads

Placing the beads

The completed project

I love that we couldn’t find a question mark bead as originally planned. I told him that the statement “Prom” was more suitable in this case than the question “Prom?”, since this was just a formality.

Oh and by the way? She said “yes.”

But you probably guessed that would happen.

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