The Beauty of Hand-Me-Downs

When I was pregnant with my son, a gal at my office asked if I’d like some baby clothes. As someone who grew up with hand-me-downs, I was initially hesitant. I wanted my kiddos to have new clothes — a treat we weren’t always afforded. However, having already noticed how small the baby boys’ clothing sections were compared to the girls’, I happily welcomed them.

I don’t know what was larger on the day she brought them to me — her smile or my eyes. She gave me two enormous bags of clothes, which at the time I comically thought would last for years. I sorted through them and really loved most. She’s big into sports like we are, so aside from some Saints gear I donated, we kept just about everything.

Fast forward to when he was born and had the chance to wear some of the clothes. Each time she saw him, she would tear up and give him a big hug. What I didn’t know then but understand now is that each time she saw him in that teddy bear sweater or puppy jumper, she saw her little guy. She recalled the memories of that first visit to the zoo or the day he met Great-Grandma.

A few years later, I had my first taste of that nostalgia. My besties and I all had babies two months apart. I had the boy; they had little girls. When round two came around, I had the next girl. The first time I was offered clothes for her, I jumped on it! We had the chance for all five baby girls to wear some of those clothes. Literally like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but with Halloween costumes, party dresses, and jammies. Each time someone outgrew something, we’d pass it on to the next girl. It saved us all a bit of money, but gave us nonstop memories of when each had worn them.

The superhero costumes transition gutted me like a fish. I cried for days, remembering how my babies literally spent their entire toddler years dressed up as someone saving the day at Publix or the library. But when I passed them along to my Marvel/DC-loving sister and brother-in-law, I knew I’d see them again when my little nieces were big enough.

As my monkeys have gotten older, I’ve continued to give their clothes away. Need a pair of dress shoes? Hold please. You just hit size 4T? Let me load you up. Forgot your bathing suit? No worries, you can keep this one.

I thought my hand-me-down clothing receiving days were over once they reached a certain age, but an unplanned visit to a friend proved that wrong. I had casually stopped by between showings just to say hello, and we chit-chatted for a bit. When I mentioned it was about time to head out, she asked if my son needed any hoodies. He grows like a weed these days, so I enthusiastically answered, “Yes!” Well, a couple of hoodies turned into a couple of massive boxes, and I really don’t think I will need to buy my son any clothes until he is in high school, literally.

She had saved all of those in case someone wanted them one day. She wanted to pass along a gift that she treasured. It wasn’t about the clothes — it was the memories. “This is what he wore to 8th-grade graduation. This is the jersey he got from his first Jags game. Oh! And these! These are my favorite!” Each article holding its own special meaning.

If someone ever offers you some of their children’s clothes, take them. It’s meaningful to them in being able to share with you, and it warms their souls when they see them worn again. Whether we put our children’s clothes away for now or forever, our hearts get folded into the boxes as well.