How a few choice clothes made memories to last a lifetime.
Photo by Jordan Nix on Unsplash
I'm not much of a fashionista. My wardrobe choices (especially now in COVID) are a rotation of yoga pants and, depending on the season, either long or short-sleeve t-shirts. If I'm feeling crazy, I mix things up with drapey sweaters and scarves.
But there are occasions when I've needed to dress up, and when it came time for my godson's confirmation in Ireland, I knew I had to veer from my Lululemon uniform and choose something more elegant.
Have I mentioned I hate to shop? Yes, the story gets better.
Enter SwapIt, which saved the day and created a memory of a lifetime for me. We'll get to this point soon, but first, a word about my godson.
Cahir is my only godchild. His mom and dad are my niece, Caroline, and her husband, Raymond. Caroline cared for my babies when they were small and is, in many ways, their Other Mother. Our children are close in age, despite the gap in our adult ages, which is the beauty of large family living.
When Caroline asked me to be godmother to Cahir, it was one of the sweetest moments of my life. Knowing my propensity to be moved to tears, she said, "Please don't cry, but I want to ask you to be godmother to this baby."
How Irish of us.
Cahir is my quiet joy. I don't see him often enough, yet, he somehow knows me and my spirit so well, and I am attuned to his. Kind, intuitive, and intelligent, I enjoy every millisecond I get to spend with him in person. I reconcile the infrequency by knowing it's quality time over quantity time. He loves anything mechanical; trucks, farming equipment, cars. He's simply fantastic. I know I'm biased.
When it comes time for a milestone event in Ireland, sartorial choices symbolize the day's significance, not because we're vain, but because we want to celebrate. Clothing serves as our version of the party streamer.
I'm devoted to picking timeless clothing because I prefer to have as few "What was she thinking?" moments in life as possible. Choosing a dress was essential to me.
For me, clothes make the memories.
Enter Swap It, my Sartorial Salvation, where I found this stunning memory-maker of a dress:
Stefanie Johnson, owner of Swap It, was vested in helping me make a memory. The time and care she took to help me shop and her pure joy when I shared this picture with her won me over as a customer.
Stefanie's influence extends beyond this beautiful, faith-filled day shared with one of the great loves of my life. She's helped me tap into the memory of another great love of mine: my father.
At a smidge past mid-century, I've lived longer without my father than with him. He died when I was a senior in high school. One thing I've learned is that when you lose someone you love, your grief never ends, it only changes shape.
If you're lucky, you have an earthly item that holds a memory. While I'm blessed with some mementos of my dad's, the one I've missed the most is the blue cardigan he wore anywhere and everywhere.
I found its twin at Swap It.
On days when my grief takes on the shape of sadness, I wrap myself in the sweater and remember moments shared with my dad, like watching Red Sox games on TV, listening to his off-color limericks, or his dinner table history lessons.
In each memory, he's wearing the infamous blue sweater.
Thank you, Stefanie, for creating a memory of a lifetime and helping me remember a life long gone.