Growing up in a family where money was always tight, I have an enormous ability to live within a simple wardrobe and I am no stranger to "Hand Me Downs". My grandmother has the best clothes and I recall being so excited when she would clean her closet bc I had a chance to get something cool or as some may call "vintage" when she sorted through her 4 closets. Not only was it enjoyable to see all of the wonderful clothes she had, it was the feeling of having something of my grandma's that made the experience of receiving a "hand me down" in many ways very special to me.
When my mom would go through her clothing, she would offer me some of her "favorite" pieces and every time I wore her clothes, I felt confident, beautiful, and even more connected to her. It was this sense of love and gratitude that kept me when I would get bullied or criticized for not having "new clothes" like my friends who thought that having new clothes made you a better person.
My thirteen year old niece now shares my love for thrifting in "my closet". She likes my clothes better than her own, and it tickles me every time I notice something missing and she smiles and says, "you remember that you gave me that a long time ago". Whether I did or not, I know that once its on her body, it no longer belongs to me, because at that point it has been handed up and over to her.
I believe in giving and when someone is in need, I would rather buy them something new, but if I do give out of my closet, I give of my best. The cost of the item is no matter, and hopefully the heart in which I handed something down is received with love and an understanding that the clothes I wear are shared in love.
