Clothes Sorting, Memories Sorting

I’ve always been a wistful, nostalgic kind of gal, but I think that’s one characteristic of mine that’s beginning to wane. Once you have to give up and say goodbye to something that actually does matter, less consequential things are put into perspective.

I went shopping a couple days ago, but before I picked out some new summer clothes, I had to go through my old clothing items. Many of the clothes that I have are 2-4 years old, which results in a recurring and familiar scene: me standing in front of a full closet all the while not seeing anything legitimate to wear.

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So, it was time to take some of my oldies to the thrift store. Earlier in my life, going through clothes with the intention of getting rid of them would have been an emotional ordeal. Not *tears* kind of emotional, but emotional as in, “Awww..maybe I better hold onto this.”

Though not NEARLY as traumatic as my real world trauma experiences, I was hit with memories as I folded up the eliminated clothing items.

This striped polo shirt…I wore it in Europe four years ago during my choir tour. I wore it that night of our outdoor concert in France at the music festival, where the host choir was monumentally intimidated by our "professional" choir..until they saw we were 17 and 18 year~old American kids. Professional sound? Yes. Professional appearance? Umm...no. Oh yeah, and they didn't have any vegetarian food because it was a cookout, so I ate a sandwich with potato chips and mustard!

This sequined tunic…I wore it while reading C----- a story in my lap; her beautiful, naturally tightly~curled mini ringlets left the scent of her shampoo on the front of my tunic blouse, and I could smell her for hours afterward. She soon withdrew from the daycare center. I missed her.

This pumpkin colored sweater...I've worn it proudly during many autumns, trying not to be overly seasonal, but still seasonally appropriate {you know, PUMPKIN colored}. That one fall {when was it?} I was obsessed with buying everything cranberry and pumpkin just to make sure I did my part to contribute to the festive mood.

The clothes are now gone, but I still have the memories. I didn't give up past experiences by giving up items that were present in the midst of the experiences. Though they did serve as triggers for my reminiscing, someone else can now get enjoyment out of them...

...and even more memories and experiences will be absorbed into their fabric, stitching, and sequins.