My Weakness for Old Clothes and Maudlin Sentimentality
Do you hang on to some of your kids' beloved clothes long after they have outgrown them?
I have some shirts from the boys, a couple of tops and dresses from my daughter. Every time I look at them I remember the way they looked in them, and they way they acted in that certain item. I can literally picture them standing in front of me in that outfit, like a ghost of days gone by.
I bury the small clothes in the basement and then, about once a year when my husband forces me to clean up, I come across them. Then I have a frisson moment where I feel the pain of them growing up, but also happiness at the memory of them as little children.
Keeping dirty onesies, torn jeans and wrinkled dresses is nothing more than being sentimental. And it is something that I should let go of. It is hard because the physical reminder of the item is what brings back the flood of memories.
But clutter is clutter and those piles of favourite kids' items get weaned down. It is the right thing to do. As my husband says, those memories are in your head - not your closet.
I wonder what I will do with the remaining items. Will I toss them eventually? Will I pay someone to compile all the pieces into a baby blanket for a grandchild? Or will I just hang on to them and reflect on the time I held up those teeny tiny sleepers to my swelling belly, amazed that the wearer was going to be born in weeks; those fleeting days when my kids were so little that they couldn't dress themselves; the year when they thought that Spiderman pajamas gave them superpowers; when the love for one particular shirt could make or break an entire day. Holding on to a few pieces of clothing isn't the most rational thing that a parent does - but in a few instances, I can cast rationality aside for a little space in storage.
What do you with your kids' most special clothes? Do you give them all away? Do you have a few hiding in the closet?
Want more chaos? Last year, I admitted one of my deepest secrets: I cheated and I got caught. You won't believe that I could be that stupid.
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