Letter to my son

Eddie Bauer Stine Jacket

Dear Son,

You are flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. I carried you for nine months, gave birth to you under duress, nourished you at my breast, and have loved and tended to you for 12 years.

I have let you wear my socks, hijack my slippers, wrap yourself up in my bathrobe, steal my sweatshirts, pad around in my Tevas, sleep in my t-shirts, use my towel, sip my drinks, share my bed, and even borrow my jeans. However,  I have my limits: never again sneak out of the house wearing my leather Eddie Bauer jacket.

I’d give you a kidney but my EB jacket has my soul tucked into its flannel-lined pockets. I bought it ten years ago to reclaim a bit of myself after giving so much away in the process of being a mother. It is not just another item of clothing. It’s a piece of me I can’t live without. It does not belong on a middle school campus or crammed in the bottom of your locker.

I hope now you understand. Borrow Dad’s leather EB jacket—the one I gave him that Christmas in Virginia. He never wears it. He doesn't need it. He's not a leather jacket guy like you. His heart belongs to his Columbia parka.

Love,

Mama

Comments

[mamatulip]

When I was a kid I wore a pair of my mom's earrings to school without asking her first. It was something I rarely did -- take something of hers without asking -- and she was upset with me when I came home and she spotted them in my ears. I thought she was upset because I hadn't asked but it wasn't until years later that I realized she was upset because of the significance those earrings held for her.

[RD]

Oy, my 12-yr old is driving me nuts with wanting to borrow things, shoes in particular. If we wore the same size clothing I'd be hosed. My 8-yr old, on the other hand, doesn't borrow. More unnerving though is her constantly asking me to leave her my things in my will. "Mama, when you die can I have your earrings?" Not sure which I prefer.

[V-Grrrl]

RD,

Your comment brought back a funny memory related to the leather jacket that proceeded this one, the one I bought after I graduated from college.

My niece Kim,about 7 years old at the time, said "Nice jacket, can I have it when you die?"

Amused by her chutzpah, I said, "Sure."

Then she said. "I'll take your diamond necklace too."

Yeah, she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. She's now a broadcast journalist, one of the youngest reporters who has subbed as anchor in an NBC market. She just received the Associated Press "Rookie of the Year" award for her state. She's a year out of college.

[Di]

Ahhhh dear god! How we laughed over here. This is superb!

[wendy]

Great post...I ust bought myself that "only mine" leather jacket for my B-Day. I can already feel my soul starting to seep into it..Mines from Sundance...Maybe I keep dreaming Robert Redford comes along with it...

He was one of the first to give me chills..I think I was about 8 or 9 when I saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Lord when that man smiled and tipped his hat...

If one of my girls puts even one paw on this new treasure....it will not be pretty. The girl at the store assured me I could get anything off of it..even blood!

[V-Grrrl]

Wendy,

The only reason Brad Pitt is appealing is because he looks like Robert Redford: the gold standard.

When I was 12, I got a kitten and a puppy. The dog was Butch Cassidy, the cat, Sundance.

Redford can still make a pair of Levis sing.

Even though I've hijacked your poems, I'll know never to touch your jacket. I understand there are limits to our sisterhood.

[Elisabeth]

I need to get myself one of those EB leather jackets.
Wendy & V-Grrrl: Yeah for Redford! Probably the very first man whom I thought was very hot (well, actually not totally true, there was a series or other "stars" whom I found incredibly attractive when I was in my teens. Jacques Dutronc was one of them - he had not aged well, I think.)

[Tera]

hahaha, that was great! I have been unable to find any of Kaeden's socks lately, so every morning he gets a pair of mine...I just realized this morning I have no socks so I am wearing Erwin's...hahaha...and so it goes, and so it goes! Hope he got the message!

[Kelby]

LOLOL Very funny post. I think all of us moms can relate. Less than 24 hours ago our 16-year old batted her big, beautiful, brown, puppy dog eyes and asked me if I had thought about giving my leather jacket to her! She skipped "borrow" and went straight for the "give" word. lol Oy, veh. Needless to say, I responded by going straight to the "no" word. lol

Last week, I caught her cooing over my jewelry drawer, I think it might be time to invest in a good tazer....:)

[Peter]

V, I do hope your son gets to read this post ;-)

[Flubberwinkle]

My girls have sucked pretty much everything out of my closet (that fits them), most of the jewelry, cosmetics, perfumes, bags and shoes.

Daughters just shrug and say I can borrow "it" any time I like.
I'm a broken woman, I tell you.
I have no defenses left to guard any piece of clothing or accessory I treasured.