When my son was born 18 months ago, my sister passed along a box of boy items her son had outgrown. As I was rifling through it, I came across the sweetest sweater vest that had clearly seen better days. "Where did ya get this?" I asked. "Oh, Nanny {our grandmother} gave it to me. It was dad's vest." What?! I couldn't believe it. An actual family relic! My dad had worn this vest around 1955. I carefully hung it in the closet for my baby boy to wear one day.
Last night, I was rummaging through the kid's closet and came across the vest again. I started thinking about a time when things weren't necessarily easier, but simpler. Clothes were made to last and be worn by many. There weren't tons of toys, but a few very loved toys. I find myself trying to mimic that in our own family. Buying and acquiring better quality of less quantity is actually a challenge in our plastic-filled culture. I hope to have a few linen overalls, wooden toy cars, pillowcase dresses, and chambray bonnets in the trunks I pass along to my grown-babies someday.