Sometimes a loved one makes choices that can adversely affect the entire family and, if left unchecked, can lead to personal ruin. It is not easy to confront one in this situation, but sometimes we must choose to do what we know is right for the sake of everyone involved. I speak particularly of fashion faux pas.
My hair stylist's husband, by her account, is a sweet man, but woefully lacking in certain areas like fashion. She recently confided to me that he needed help in this department. "We had to have an...intervention with him," she said.
So she consulted with the best experts in men's fashions she could find: her two teenage daughters. "We told him we were taking him shopping for clothes, and we weren't going to Sears," she said.
This intervention seemed to consist mainly of two components:
1. Shut up.
2. Wear what we tell you.
The poor man was taken away to stores like Gap and Martin + Osa, which he had probably never set foot in, and forced to try on jeans that were actually quite flattering ("He looks so cute in his little Gap jeans").
The persuasive powers of three fashion-conscious women began to wear him down, and he gradually realized that he could not continue in his former lifestyle. After extensive shopping therapy sessions, he now stands proudly in front of the mirror, admiring his new confident, bold, and hip look. His wife and daughters can now proudly hold their heads high in public, with no trace of the shame that once threatened their social and emotional well-being.
If you are in a similar situation, may their story inspire you to take gentle but firm action with a loved one. And what better time of year to do it than now, with all the sales going on? No sense in paying more for therapy than necessary. And it may be the best present you could ever give.
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