Way back in the fourth- grade my oldest daughter Holly danced in the Big Maypole tableau in the Historic Natchez Pageant. Her partner was a young man named Rodney Daggett. Rodney went to school at Cathedral with her and they had a lot of fun dancing over the course of the Pageant. Before long I had her enrolled in cotillion classes with Cheryl Morace. Mrs. Morace was in charge of the dancing in a new tableau in the Pageant, which was going to showcase her dance students dancing the Virginia reel. That year and the next Holly and Rodney danced the lead in the Virginia Reel.

By now, Rodney’s mother and I were making jokes about Holly and Rodney always being partners and how glad we were. Eleventh-grade rolled around and things had changed. Holly moved over to Trinity, and her dad had passed away.

One thing was a source of continuity that year. When she danced the Polka, sure enough her partner was Rodney. By now his mother Penny and I were trying to figure out how our two children, whose mothers were in different clubs, were going to serve together on the court when they were juniors in college.

The 2006 Pageant rolled around and things were really different, but this time it was for Rodney. Holly stood on the stage as part of the Pilgrimage Garden Club Court and Rodney was on active duty as a United States Marine. I took pictures, and I could hardly look at Penny. We were both thinking the same thing, how much safer Rodney would be there with us in the City Auditorium in Natchez, far away from anything resembling a tank.

This year for the 2007 Pageant Holly was asked to serve as queen for the Pilgrimage Garden Club. She had a wonderful time and had a wonderful partner. But still Penny and I could not help but say “what if?” Last weekend we got our wish.

At the end of the Pageant, in case you haven’t seen it, the Confederate flag leaves the floor and the American flag comes out. Everyone in the auditorium stands, places their hand over their heart and sings the Star Spangled Banner. Saturday night we were blessed to have not one but three Marines in full uniform on the floor to salute our flag. All three of them from Natchez, all three of them Cathedral graduates, and one them was Rodney Daggett. So we have our picture to end the series, Holly in her evening gown, Rodney in his dress blues. But we have something else too — pride.

These are not the only young men we know who are serving in the armed forces and many are overseas, headed there or returning there. My friends the Kirkwoods have a son in the Marines. Jordan is presently in Iraq. His family doesn’t know exactly where he is and they have no idea when they will hear from him. I cannot imagine what it is like for them to go to bed at night and pray for their son and brother.

The Miss-Lou is filled with men and women serving in the armed forces and their families need your support and prayers. Take a minute and tell a family that you are thinking of their loved ones, and you will keep them in your prayers. And pray for their safety and safe homecoming.

Christina Hall can be reached at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.