I am thankful for hand-me-downs.
Ward and I visited Theo yesterday afternoon and I smiled when I saw what he was wearing--a pair of faded blue jeans with the back pocket worn to the shape of a wallet. I smiled because they used to belong to my father. Most of my father's life, he wore Lee jeans and he always carried his wallet in his back pocket. These jeans suited his lifestyle of both hard outdoor work as a lineman and his active outdoor play as a gardener, hunter, and fisherman. He always had several pairs of Lee jeans in his dresser even when he was in the nursing home.
In the beginning, it was hard to see my father's clothes even when his grandson was wearing them. It just reminded me of my loss and made me sad. However, enough time has passed that that is no longer true. It makes me happy. And what makes me the happiest is that this is exactly the way my father would have wanted things to be--his grandson getting use from his hand-me-downs. So for these hand-me-down clothes from a grandfather to grandson, I am thankful.
Glad this was a happy reminder of your dad and his values. Theo must have inherited his build from your father. It's interesting to see my husband's side of the family--he and his brother have a similar build to their father. My son will also have that body type. The older I get, the more I am fascinated by inherited traits.
ReplyDeleteTheo is sort of a cross between my Dad and Ward. Both big-boned, but my father was several inches taller than Ward. Wally is more like my dad's build, but looks just like his father.
DeleteGenetis is indeed interesting. My sister and I have both had our DNA analyzed, and surprisingly, they are not that similar. For example, she had 40% British and I only have 4%. Now we want our other two sisters to have their's analyzed just out of curiosity.
I love it and I understand the sentiment behind it. Son3 is a rather snappy dresser as was my dad. Dad had a silk sports coat that he loved so after his death Mom gave it to Son3. My new favorite photo of him is a picture wearing the jacket playing at Dizzy's. We keep saying Dad is on stage in absentia. He would have loved it!
ReplyDeleteHow fun is that! Seeing your son play in your father's silk sport's coat. It's a nice feeling that a passed love one is with us in one way or another.
DeleteAwwwww... how very sweet. It's so funny how grief works, isn't it? Two years later I've finally gotten to the point that I can look at pictures of my cat Sputnik and smile rather than just feel the horrible pain of the loss. I'm not there yet with Princess, Gray Boy or the kittens... but I'm trusting that I'll get there eventually.
ReplyDeleteTime helps. It doesn't cure things, but it helps.
DeleteAs far as the kitties go, I think I see Lucy sometimes, and I still can't go in the part of the yard where's she's buried. But mostly, it's better. It's certainly better for her that she is not suffering any more and better for us since we are not in the very intense mode we were in caring for her. I know you understand that all too well.
You certainly had a long run of sick kitties. I hope that's over with for a while.
I know what you mean about thinking that you see Lucy - I could swear sometimes that I catch a glimpse of one or another of my fur babies who are no more. Just last night in fact, I was in bed, mostly asleep, and I could have sworn that I felt Princess jump up on the bed and paw at the covers to be let under - but it was like she was there, but didn't weigh anything, but somehow I could still feel her. And they'll visit me in my dreams frequently - it's incredibly vivid.
DeleteI consider myself to be a pretty rational being, firmly grounded in the realities of the physical world, But it's enough to make me wonder sometimes...
I think we could go into a lot of brain science here, but let's just say it does make you wonder.
DeleteWhat lovely sentiment. My dad passed a few years ago now, and it was hard for my mom to donate or hand down some his things, but now, my husband wears a jacket that my mom hand knit for my dad when they were young and we both just love seeing it being word and cared for still.
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DeleteThat makes it extra special that your mom made the jacket for your dad. I'm sure it brings a smile now to your faces every time you see it.