CHILDREN GROW UP…LITERALLY

“Mom, I have a present for you”, Alli came into my room carrying a pair of worn jeans.  Another hand-me-down from one of my three daughters, and at sixteen, Alli is the youngest.  For the last few months I have been receiving a wealth of unwanted clothing from my children.  Surprising as it may seem, their unwanted clothing has been most welcome in my dresser drawers.

What I am discovering is that young women like to redefine themselves frequently and when that happens, out goes the wardrobe.  I don’t remember doing this. Until recently I still wore clothing from, ummm, well, a long time ago.

I decided some months back that it was time for me to redefine myself as well and I gave 90% of my wardrobe the old heave-ho and replaced it with clothing that would be suitable for the life that I was envisioning for myself.  In other words; no sweaters, jeans, or anything that would be required to stay warm in a cold climate.  Since my vision hasn’t yet manifested I welcome with open arms the cast offs of my children.  Jeans, hoodies, sweatpants, you name it, I now have it – all but the turtlenecks I love.

It is such in the nature of being a mother that this is all so bittersweet,  the many stages our children go through are met both with celebration and sadness in equal measure.  I am grateful that I do not have to break the bank to buy clothing that in the end I do not want but at the same time it slams home to me that my children are really, truly growing up.  The question I ask myself is this; does being a mom mean that I will forever live in the realm of the bittersweet or does it someday just become sweet?

self portrait with my hand-me-downs