I know what your thinking...what do hand me downs have to do with quality time? Well this little story should shed some light on that issue.
Hand me downs or clothes with a story can really mea a lot to your child. My daughter has always loved clothes that she has received from certain others and we are trying to instill the concept of charity in her when she outgrowns something that in terms of donating it or passing it on.
Recentl, however, the importance of clothes with a story really came to life for me. My mom's sister was married 35 years ago this passed May and I was her flower girl. I wore a pretty, yet typical, 70s polyester dress that my grandmother made. My family kept the dress and it moved into my office closet about 2 years ago. The plan was that my daughter could where it for dressup.
At my parents trailer park they have Halloween in the middle of August making it difficult to get a Halloween costume. In early July I suggested to my daughter she be a princess and wear the pink dress in the closet. She wasn't thrilled with the idea until I showed her a picture of me in the dress. From then on we had a mission to transform the dress into one fit for a butterfly princess. My darling child showed me where she wanted the butterflies and handed me the beads to embelish the sleeves, but wanted nothing to do with the fittings to ensure the train didn't drag on the ground. I finished the dress a week before the August event and my daught was eager to wear it. She asked to wear the it to the campground but I exllained she'd probably be more comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt until trick or treating started. On Saturday she made sure the dress was packed in the car and off we went. When anyone asked her where she got such a pretty dress she proundly told that it was mine.
The whole event reminded me of myself as a teenager when I used to "borrow" my mom's clothes. These were good times and I look forward to the day my daughter "borrows" my clothes.
I have my wedding dress packed awaybut don't expected my daughter will wear it. I am hopeful she'll wear my veil and maybe do something special with the dress, but who knows. I'm sure my husband doesn't want to tink about her getting married for another 20 years.
As a side note the floweer dress will get one more day of wearing when my Butterfly Princess wears it to school and out trick or treating on the 31st of October.
