I almost walked right into a grand tour down memory lane. Almost.
While our 14 year old son is off traipsing around Paris, I decided to travel right into the grand abyss that is his closet. It was packed to the gills with old costumes, rolled posters, too-small shoes, last year’s jeans, and his “keepsafe” boxes. That’s where I was almost stupid. Almost.
When he was young and still learning the finer points of the English language, he heard me mentioning his keepsake boxes. To be precise, what he heard – but not what I said – was KEEPSAFE boxes. He will still ask me to put things away in his keepsafe boxes. I have never corrected him, and I doubt I ever will. It’s just too precious to me, and there needs to be some thread to him that ties me to his babyhood.
Back to the closet. Right on top, in the uppermost keepsafe box, was the Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit I bought him in 1997 for my stepsister’s wedding. I went a little crazy in the weeks before the wedding and purchased this amazing ensemble at Saks Fifth Avenue. It’s a pima cotton placketed blouse and a navy blue velvet jumper with button closures. No tacky snaps here!! I finished it all off with white socks and leather Buster Brown ankle shoes. He was 8 months old, and that night his feet never touched the ground. He was held by many and pandered to all night. He was as happy all evening as he is in this picture.
In the box, right under this fashion statement, is the outfit we took him home from the hospital in. I can’t say what else is in that box – or the boxes it was resting on – because I stopped right there. I felt the big cry coming on, and I waltzed right around it. I went back to sorting and dusting and cleaning and ignored the memories waiting in those boxes.
I guess that, because I only have one child, I will not need to remind myself to not go cleaning out the closets of an almost high schooler while they are away. It is a treacherous and slippery slope if you are not properly prepared.
I should, however, remind myself that drying my eyes with the cotton rag in my hands that is coated in lemon Pledge and dust bunnies is almost stupid. Almost.
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Gawd am I sorry I didn’t know him in those first years. I have tears in my eyes just imagining how flippin’ cute and wonderful he must have been.
He was – and is – a happy child. Although you missed a little, you’ve been involved in a lot, Lori Buntin.
Thanks for memory lane bits! As mother to three and stepmom to 5 more, all of whom are over 50 yr now I am aware that every so often you do need to walk down memory lane with whatever it is that twigs it. Be it photo, a grand child’s facial expression, a movie, or just “stuff” that pops up! My collection of ‘can’t get rid of this’ irritates my husband.
When a fast moving CO forest fire forced a quick evacuation we each packed a car and he couldn’t believe the ‘stuff’ that I grabbed as he packed CPU and electronic data stuff!
(We returned several days later to fine home intact) I’m still a collector, and he still gripes!
Judy:
I am glad to hear the that car you packed to leave Colorado was able to return home to a place untouched by disaster. Thank you for reading our blogs. They are a joy to write. Dare I say cathartic?
– sloane