I don’t think that I’m alone in this. Parting with clothes is not easy to do for me. Obviously neither is it a manageable task for my oldest daughter!
I don’t like to separate from the time that something fit me, looked fine on me or furnished me with convenience or fashion. I don’t like to say good-bye, even to clothes. I think you are getting the idea, after all I’m blogging about this “good bye” topic after all!
This daughter leaves on Thursday and we still haven’t packed a single garment. More importantly we haven’t recycled or discarded one garment either!
Thinking of this in a dream last night (yes, I dreamed about clothes) I did realize that her lime green bathing suit and gaudy striped sun dress from childhood are gone. They’ve disappeared, so I guess we were able to let go. This is a good aspiration, as I means that clothes have actually moved out of this house!
When the clothes are gone then time has actually moved forward. If no one will wear them in the absence of a mannequin, they are just occupying space.
Here we are at time and space again!
Clothes are great reminders of moments in time.
When my mother died and I had to clean out her closets. It was the clothes (and the jewelry) that brought me back to being with her. These things allowed me to be in her presence. I’ve kept some pins, necklaces and even sweaters (that don’t really fit me) so that I can be with her again.
I think I’ll keep something. Maybe my daughter’s prom dress to remind me of the day we went to get her make-up done at the counter at a local department store and I realized she really is a woman. Maybe her first coaching shirt to remind me of the day I saw her strength and bossiness as a gift and not a problem! Maybe I’ll keep a tailored blouse to remind me that she isn’t really very different than me and that sometimes looking the “part” is what we all do, despite our objection to being comparable to others.
Either way, clothes will be packed, rejected and reclaimed this week. Clothes that oddly enough will remain in my dreams.
There Is A Time 