Dallas, Texas

"…it's hard to believe these are all donated items, they're all such high quality and in beautiful condition. I could never afford all of these items new, that's part of the reason why I'm here today; I can't pretend that I don't do my fair share of window shopping though, and if I'm not mistaken, the majority of the things here are from recent season's collection. You're not short of options either; it's not just a sea of black skirts and plain blouses. You must have a lot of fun working here; I was a shop girl when I was in high school and I loved it; after high school I had to find something that paid just a little bit more than that though, so that was the end of that. I miss the people, the staff discount and the tasks in comparison to office work, but I appreciate the quality of life office work affords me. We're not rich, not by any means, but we have enough now, at least in my eyes we do…"

Watching with amusement and amazement as the young brunette girl stepped back and analysed the items of clothing on the racks in front of her, Sue Ellen briefly wondered why she had even been assigned the task of assisting her to choose a few pieces of clothing, because she was clearly capable of thinking fashionably and artistically. Taking a closer look at the young woman and thinking about the few details that she had given during their meeting though, she understood why she had asked for charitable help. She was pretty, polite, and friendly, but she didn't have the well-groomed shine she potentially would've had with a little bit more money, and from the way she spoke and the way her eyes grew distant and glazed, it was obvious the tough times in her life weren't completely a thing of the past. What was obvious to Sue Ellen too though was that although money was obviously a bit tight and it seemed that at some point the young woman had put her life on hold out of familial obligation, she wasn't unhappy or bitter about the life she was living. After the past twenty-four hours as a member of the Ewing family, it was nice to hear someone else referring to their dysfunctional family in a loving way. In the back of her mind too, Sue Ellen noted that when referring to her family the young woman never mentioned a mother, boyfriend, or husband; she barely knew the girl and after today she would probably never see her again, but that didn't stop her mind from racing ahead and connecting dots to form a potentially pretty picture. For now though she had to remind herself that she was working and she had a task to focus on.

"Yes, it's hard to believe sometimes, people are very generous, though to be honest I think sometimes it's more about ego and appearance, and making space for newer items than it is about being generous. Regardless of motivation though, this organization is helping a lot of women and that's really the most important thing; it's also why I choose to volunteer my time here, like you described about working in a store, I like the people and I like the tasks. Knowing that I helped make even just one woman's life a little bit brighter is enough for me, the creative outlet and social environment is secondary to that, but I do enjoy all of it". Getting lost in her thoughts about why she enjoyed volunteering, and embarrassingly, why she understood the motivations of wealthy women donating near new, expensive clothing, she snapped back into reality as she pulled a beautiful cream dress from the rack, and her client selected a lovely silk blouse; they had a goal to achieve today and achieve it they would.

A little while later, after a lot of careful deliberation about which items looked the best and were equally as versatile, Sue Ellen and the young woman continued their conversation as she folded and bagged the small pile of clothing they had selected together. "Thank you for having me today, and for all of these lovely things, it's very kind… you're very kind. I'm not sure anyone here will want my old clothing by the time I'm finished with it but I will keep this organization in mind, you're doing wonderful work here". Watching the way she smiled and hearing the grateful tone in her voice, Sue Ellen reflected on their meeting and smiled to herself at the memory of the rapport they had had with each other. They had worked well together and although they hadn't spoken too deeply about their personal lives she did feel like if circumstances were different they could have been friends. "Thank you", nodding and smiling back at the young woman, she paused for a moment before clearing her throat, "can I make a suggestion?" she appreciated the thanks she received for her time and effort, but what she found herself focused more deeply on was a need to reassure and redirect. "Don't sell yourself short. Clothing is not the only thing you can offer people, time, kindness, and patience, those things are more valuable if you're looking to be charitable. I know you're starting a new job next week and you probably have a lot of other commitments, but from our time today I think you'd be the perfect candidate for a sales consultant or fashion buyer job, or even a volunteer here, we're always looking for kind women with an eye for what looks good and what's versatile. Administration work might pay more and might be what you need to do at this time in your life, but eventually, I think you might find more happiness in fashion and customer service, and there's nothing wrong with doing something because it makes you happy. Of course, I don't know you so take my opinion as you please, but that's the impression I got from our meeting today".

Handing over the bag of folded clothes as she finished speaking, Sue Ellen was pleased when she received a warm smile and a genuine, "thank you, and you're not too far off the mark", in response. "It was lovely to meet you Sue Ellen. I'll think about what you said too, so maybe we'll see each other around sometime", watching as her client and potential co-worker/friend then gathered her things, she smiled as she responded as they walked over toward the door, "it was lovely to meet you too Pamela, and I look forward to it".

To be continued…