What's In Your Closet?

5/29/2018

Interesting article in the paper today.  It was about people writing in talking about older clothes that they still have.  A favorite sweater, a suit, varsity jacket and things like that.

This got me thinking about my own closet.  What's hanging in there.  An item(s) I will never wear again, so why keep it?  The answer is simple.  For me, it's a memory thing.  To be sure, I can no longer fit into any of these clothes, but that's not the point.  They give me a pleasant memory when I think about where I wore the dress, how old was I.  Mundane stuff like that.

Not hanging in my closet, but is inside my hope chest, is my wedding dress.  Why do I keep it around?  It's not like I have a daughter who might wear it.  I keep it, because my Mother made it for me, and it's simple but beautiful.  I also have Wendy's wedding dress, and can't see myself getting rid of it anytime soon.  These dresses don't take up a lot of room, and I know that perhaps someday the hope chest will be opened by our sons, and with few exceptions, things will be thrown out.  On some level, I'm okay with that.  The things inside the chest, are really only relevant to me and/or Jeff.

I have two "fake" but very well made fur coats.  They don't fit me now, but one of them, was worn by Wendy on her wedding day.  So to be on the safe side, I keep them both.

Over time, I have thinned out my closet(s), though I'm pretty sure Jeff wouldn't agree (insert smile here).  I always swear, as do most women, that I have absolutely NOTHING to wear.  Let's face it, women love getting new clothes and/or shoes.  Maybe it's in our DNA.  Who knows?

There are other clothes in my chest: the outfit Benjamin wore when we took him out of the hospital, the outfit he wore to Wendy's funeral, his firt pair of crocs (they are so tiny).  Who wouldn't want to keep those?

I'm probably too sentimental.  Pretty sure that's true, because any number of people tell me that I keep too much stuff.  I always date every picture, and/or every card I have received in "x" number of years. They don't take up too much space, and when I sit down and re-read them, with the exception of sympathy cards, enjoy the sentiments.

So think about what's in your closet, clothes that you hold onto,  because you can't give them away.  Too many memories.

P