Indiana weather is very fickle. On Monday, we woke up to 28 degrees, Saturday we’ll be close to 70. This morning, I woke my daughter up and got her ready for school like we do every morning. It’s chilly now as I sit here typing and temps will be in the mid 60s when I pick her up in the afternoon. So it’s not cold enough for a heavy coat, but too cool for merely a long sleeve shirt and a fleece vest.
Enter the jean jacket
My mother in law bought her a jean jacket about three years ago when it was still too big for her. She wore it anyway and got all the compliments. “How cute is that jacket?” “You look so cute in this jacket!” And she would proudly tell everyone “her Rere made it.”
This isn’t just any jean jacket. My mother in law, a dynamo for style, fashion, and creativity made this jacket “special” by embellishing the hem with a colorful pom-pom trim and a fabulous cat patch on the back. (girlfriend is obsessessssssssed with cats!)
Sadness
Before school began, we took inventory of all her cold weather clothes. We had plenty of leggings, long sleeved shirts, and coats. However, in the past month, girl hulked up on us and outgrew nearly everything! I spotted the jacket and handed it to her and she was most excited to wear it. That is until…
“IT DOESN’T FIT!” she declares, “It’s too tight.”
Sure enough, it was really tight around the armholes, making it hard for her to lift her arms. I’m watching her face as she slowly peels off the jacket and I see the tears welling up in her eyes. At that moment, I lost it because I knew why she was crying. Now I’m crying, too.
It is now a year after her Rere’s passing, that the weight of her death really crushed my kid. In that moment, I grabbed her and hugged her real close. I told her all the things I think she needed to hear about love and loss and the importance of memories. It seemed to appease her because she ordered me to hang up the jacket in her closet and to never, ever, give it away.
In turn, I gave her permission to give our cat extra hugs to feel better and a big baggie full of mini marshmallows to eat on the way to school. The cat was a good sport about it.
We’re never getting rid of that jacket.