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Editor's note: Anonymous Thank Yous is a website that allows people to submit notes of gratitude to strangers who anonymously gave service. Michael McCarlie, its founder, contributes every other Wednesday. SALT LAKE CITY — Riki shared a story with anonymousthankyous.com about finding the perfect wedding dress. She didn’t find it until a complete stranger offered something completely unexpected.
This is what Riki said:
"I was planning the wedding of my dreams but I needed a wedding dress. That sounds easy enough but it wasn’t. I am a 'plus size' woman and every dress I tried on made me look AWFUL. I cried my way home after each fitting.
"I was convinced that I would never find the perfect dress, let alone one I thought I looked beautiful in. I decided I would just settle for one that made me look the least awful.
"My mother-in-law to be took me to a charity event called Brides Against Breast Cancer. Of course, any dress that was in my size had been altered to a much smaller size. Again I felt close to tears and defeated.
"My wedding was in four weeks and I still did not have a dress. A sweet girl named Sarah that was helping at the event was also a plus-size woman who had recently married. She said, 'My dress would be perfect for you' and showed me a picture. The dress was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and exactly what I had been looking for.
"When I asked if she would be interested in renting or selling it she said, 'I will give you my number, call me tomorrow and you can have the dress.'
"I picked up the dress the next day, and it was everything I could have imagined and more. She said she recognized the look in my eyes as the same look she had when she was looking for the perfect dress. She didn’t want anything for it, just a picture of me in the dress on my wedding day.
"I sent the picture with another huge thank you. I don't know if she knows how much that dress means to me. I felt truly beautiful in that dress and did not feel even a bit self-conscious about my weight. I plan to hold onto the dress until I hear of a plus-size woman in need of the perfect gown to get married in, then I will pass it along. Thank you, Sarah, you made my day better than I ever could have imagined."
Anonymous Thank Yous: Have you ever wanted to say thank you for something a stranger did? Tell us your story at anonymousthankyous.com or follow along at Facebook and Twitter.
