He had the shirt before we even met, so it's pretty old...maybe 18 years??
Hanging in the closet, it blends in with all of the rest..
On the outside..it just looks like any old shirt. Held up well over its years of Washings and wears. Regular old shirt.
But this shirt has MEANING.it holds such sentimental value to us. I don't think we will EVER be able to get rid of it.
Rewind back o August 3, 2005.
Brian is working out of town while I decide its time to have a baby. Yep. Now. B races 3 hours back home just in time to welcome our 1st born Son into the world. He's wearing THIS shirt.
Move forward a few years to September 24, 2008.
We are fast asleep and it s 1:30am. I wake suddenly to find, yep....it's time again. Here comes our baby. We throw on clothes and rush to the hospital. It's not until we are settled in the delivery room and things are somewhat settled, that I glance at my husband to see...he's wearing THE shirt. He remembered he had worn it for Nick's birth. Ohh, I'm gushing. What a sweet gesture.
Over the years, we talk here and there about how special this shirt is. The Boys get a kick out of knowing that their Daddy wore it for BOTH of their entrances into the world.
Fast forward February 18, 2012. A hotel room in China. We are getting ready to board a bus that will take us to meet our Daughter for the first time.. He's wearing THE shirt. Tears start to pour from my eyes. This man, who is stoic, strong and not at all emotional...is wearing THE shirt. All I could do was cry. He looks at me and just casually says.."I couldn't NOT wear it. It's THEIR shirt. For ALL of them". Well, Ifeel bad in admitting that I later asked him to change the shirt. I know. I know. Sounds bad. But we felt like for this "meeting", we needed to be dressed up. This old shirt was now turning "ratty", even has a small hole in the crest. And so for this "official occasion", I felt that he should not wear the shirt. Not to mention the fact that it was about 20 degrees in China that day. And so, while my heart was completely overwhelmed that he had brought THE shirt all this way, I felt it was better worn on another day..where there would be less "official" photos taken.
And so, here, you'll see, he's wearing another shirt...
I've washed this old shirt a million times. Hang it in the closet with all the others...but it is my favorite shirt of all.....we will never discard of it, and it will always hold a place in our hearts..
Do you own a piece of clothing that has sentimental value?? What is it and why?
Blessings,
Angie
