Melissa Hagan – The dress that keeps waiting
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]
What’s In Your Closet?
Closets hold heirlooms, closets hold secrets, and closets hold treasures, dreams and hopes.
We were not after dirty laundry when we asked local residents the question: “What’s in your closet?” The question quickly became a wonderful way to learn more about a person’s life and bits and pieces about their past, the paths they have taken, the lessons they have learned and the plans they had. Have a peek into local personalities’ homes and lives as they open up their closets and share anecdotes and stories with us while showing off items that are special to them, items that they will never part with and items that will always be vivid reminders of what once was and still is special.[/box]
Melissa Hagan, a lifelong member of the Republican Party, business owner and current candidate for office for the Florida House of Representatives, District 6, is shown wearing a beautiful fully beaded Stephen Yearick gown.
When asked whether she could contribute to our series of interviews about a special item in her closet that she could never throw away, she admitted “I do have an item in my closet that has extreme sentimental value and that I have held on to and just could not part with; an evening gown. I purchased it because my husband Aaron and I were planning to renew our wedding vows at our 20 year mark in 2009. We chose to not have a formal wedding when we married back in 1989. Instead, my husband embarked on a military career and we bought our first home.
And as our 20 year anniversary came closer, we started the process of planning the ceremony but the economy was in dire straits and we decided to hold off again and possibly try to have a ceremony this year for our 25th Silver Wedding Anniversary. We were considering a small ceremony at our church (Forest Park United Methodist) depending on the results of the election.”
She adds: “Closets hold a lot of hopes and dreams and I still held on to this dress and could not part with it in hopes that I will wear it when we will renew our vows – or at least hand it down to my girls.”
Many will hold their breath for the upcoming campaign but in Melissa’s case, she is holding an entire vow renewal ceremony in favor of the causes and goals that she and her family stand for.
She explains: “Our 25 year anniversary date is on September 2nd this year. With my current political campaign, we are finding ourselves in a bit of a quandary, since we will not know until August 26 whether or not I will win the primary and be in the heat of a general election cycle. So my beautiful gown may have to wait once again… but I
hope my plans to wear this gown for the much-awaited walk down the aisle that I never had will come true.”
Trying the dress on for the first time after years also took a little bit of courage. “It is looking pretty tiny at the moment!” Melissa declared and adds: “I have to get the courage to see how close I am to zipping it up! It may take another anniversary to get it done!”
Photo by Jeff Pitts