"The just man's few possessions
are better than the wicked man's wealth."
-Psalm 37
I'm finally making peace with the fact that my children are not well dressed. I feel like I used Christmas as an excuse to get all "grabby" with the clothing issue. I obsessed about finding good clothing deals at Macy's and Target. I went over the "wish list" obsessively with the grandmothers. I spent my husband's Christmas bonus on warm snow boots and good ski coats.
This year, I'm trying to practice detachment. This past Saturday, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I was ironing one of my husband's oxford shirts that he calls his "work shirts." The white fabric is worn so thin at the sleeves that it becomes translucent after being pressed with a hot iron. I looked at this sleeve and immediately felt awful. "This shirt is in such poor shape. I should try to get Jon some new work shirts for Christmas. . ."
I immediately started to feel that panic sensation in the pit of my stomach. With the poor economy, Jon isn't expecting a bonus this year. Our Christmas budget is the smallest its ever been in our marriage. I just felt instant panic "how am I going to buy my husband a new dress shirt, even one on sale?"
That's when my guardian angel helps with her good thoughts "Lets, just be thankful that Jon has this shirt to wear." My shoulders started to relax, "Yeah, that's what Advent 2012 was supposed to be about. Relaxing and trusting God with "the gift thing."
I finished ironing the shirt and got dressed--in my one blue church dress, the cotton one that is really meant for Spring. My husband ended up choosing another blue oxford shirt that was less worn. When I met him on the stairs I want to apologize that I because hadn't caught up with the laundry, so the only white shirt he had for church was the badly worn one. Yet Jon greeted me first with a huge smile. "Oh we're both wearing blue for Mary today!" I laughed and agree that was true.
St. Joseph, lover of poverty, pray for me!
