Old Clothes

If you ever need a reminder of how quickly your kids will grow up and leave you, try going through a box of your child's baby clothes. My daughter is only 18 months (still a baby really!) but it made me incredibly nostalgic to see and touch and smell her 3-6 month wardrobe. The green and white flowered dress. The pink denim overalls. The red velore jumpsuit. I could go on and on.

What happened to my little girl? I can only imagine how it will feel to try this exercise when she, God willing, is actually an adult! (or at least out of diapers.) The next day, I tried to pay special attention to the feel and smell of her 18 month body, face, smile, outfit - as if it were the future and I were given a precious opportunity to go back in time.

A friend of mine recently had an upshirin for her son. She told me how hard it was to cut the hair that he had had since birth and that the haircut was somehow a mark of separation. I understand that feeling completely. Just thinking that my little girl is actually too big for those old clothes makes me a little teary-eyed, as silly as this may sound.

Next time I find myself a little over-eager to move on to the next phase, I will go back to that box of old clothes and hopefully slow down a little.