The Diva Boutique

The Diva Boutique

Clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:14, NIV

I love clothes. In fact, my closet resembles nothing so much as a messy explosion of colors and textures, usually draped on top of each other. (I don’t love to clean as much as I love clothes, clearly.) So participating in the Diva Boutique at the retreat for single moms combines my love of giving with my love of clothes.

The Diva Boutique is a place where women can “shop” for clothing items—jeans, scarves, shirts, bras, you name it—for free. The donations are collected statewide in the months leading up to the event, and volunteers sort and organize the items by size and type, and truck them to the retreat. Then they set everything up, decorate the shop, and open for business.

The response is overwhelmingly positive. And for me, it’s fun. I worked in retail for many years, so my favorite job is to hang out by the dressing rooms. It’s not as creepy as it sounds, really. I love to see women emerge to model their clothes. For some, it’s been so long since they’ve shopped for themselves that they’ve forgotten what size they wear. Others need something specific—clothes for work, a dress for church or a wedding—and it’s a pleasure to help them hunt down the perfect item. I love finding pieces that reflect their inner beauty and personality, honoring them and showing them love in tangible ways.

Some of my favorite moments are the quietest moments, the ones where no one else is paying attention. Sometimes a woman has six items instead of the allotted five, and I have the privilege of whispering, “Go ahead and take all six.” Seeing her smile and hearing her hesitant, “Are you sure?” makes me feel wealthy beyond measure, simply by choosing to give away more than expected.

That feeling of unity, of usefulness, of giving something of value to someone else is also a gift to myself. The long hours of preparation, the physical toll of the weekend, and my aching feet are a small price to pay for the internal satisfaction and deep gratitude I feel and the simple reminder of how we’re called to love others.

—Kristin

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Find something extra in your house and give it away to someone who would appreciate it, either a person you know or an organization in your community.