I remember when I gave birth to my first son over ten years ago. I was a first time mom and unexptected single parent earning a modest living as a designer with no real nest egg set up for myself or my little one. I worried whether or not I would have enough money to buy formula, pay the bills to keep the roof over our heads, or keep him clothed properly when it seemed every day he grew a little more.
Without much experience to guide me along, I found myself stumbling on a journey into motherhood with a series of trials and errors that would one day become my Bible. I found financial assistance from various agencies set up for women like myself, continued to nurture my gift of creativity to increase my business profits, and realized the benefits of community….and hand-me-downs!
As my little infant grew into a crawling baby and then a walking toddler, I found the benefits of the ‘old school’ clothing and fabric exchange our parents used to use, to be quite a remedy. After my first initial gifting of brand new baby clothes during my baby shower, I hardly saw ‘brand new’ again except at special occasions like holidays or my baby’s birthday. Surprisingly enough, I never missed it. I made my own children’s sets out of the fabric I was given or dressed my son in the outfits I was blessed with. Plus babies grow out of clothing so fast that they really don’t have much time to wear and tear. And when you have a community of parents with babies older and younger than your own, it becomes a rhythm of give and take just like the seasons. Before long, my son was reaching into his school years with little to no need for brand new. In fact, aside from underwear and shoes, I can’t remember needing for any clothes during his formative years.
My point? In these frugal times when priority spending is the name of the game and the security of tomorrow’s paycheck is not so certain anymore, there is one thing that is. Community has always been the foundation and salvation of a people, especially during times of struggle, and it still is today. Even if it is just hand-me-down clothing and fabric.
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Posts by J&O Fabrics Store
