As I fold the mountain of kids' clothes that's inevitably been sitting on my couch for a few days, I look outside and notice the fallen leaves. The weather changing serves as a natural reminder to go through my kids’ clothes to see what still fits and what doesn’t. Out with the old as they say. As a mom, I, of course, am always multitasking. So, as I fold the laundry I also analyze each item and decide if my kids will fit into them next season.
We all know the moment will come when we have to retire certain items because we can’t possibly squeeze any more life out of them without exposing a belly button or too much of an ankle. And as I fondly fold their clothes I sort them into what has become the standard piles in our household: Keep, Donate, and Exchange. Keeps get folded and placed in their laundry baskets to be lugged back upstairs and put away with a 'see ya next time'. Exchanges get folded with a feeling of gratitude and support for our planet while being placed into my Thread Local box. Donations get folded and placed into the Donation box bringing with it a feeling of community. However, as always with these last two categories, my positive feelings are intermingled with a sadness, which of course is immediately followed by the thought that I'm completely nuts and the sadness I feel parting ways with certain items is silly. After all, they are just clothes. Right?
But as with most things in life, rarely are things that simple. Each time I find an article that I know won’t fit come next season, I can’t help but feel sentimental. if you have kids, you know! It starts with their very first lot of outgrown clothes. Parting with their first pants or your favorite onesie. Even though it gets a little easier each time they move up a size, that sentimental feeling is always there. Sentimental about all the fun my son had wearing those cute navy shorts with the little blue and white mustaches or how he ALWAYS wanted to wear the pizza-shark shirt. All the times I’ve seen my husband smile when my daughter wore her ‘I love dad’ shirt. She’d go running to daddy and say, “Look at the shirt I chose today!”-- my husband and daughter sharing the same moment filled with pride of a different sort.
My hope is that these items, which we’ve fully lived in but taken good care of, will bring the same comfort to their next family as they provided mine and at the same time see joy in their new homes as well.
Even though our doors are not yet open, you too can sort your clothing into these three categories: Keep, Donate, and Exchange so when our doors open you can bring us your exchanges and donations. Or we can sort them for you. Thread Local 360 provides a convenient clothing pickup service. We will pick up your clothing, sort them into what qualifies for exchange and what will be donated to local families and community members in need right now. Click here to schedule your pickup.
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Peace, Love, & Light from your friends at Thread Local 360.