Hand Me Downs

Most of us are familiar with the term “hand me down”.  For some, it denotes poverty; for others, it means adventure.  Growing up, the “term hand me down” represented both.  I felt poor because I was relying on cousins giving me clothes and at the same time, the arrival of a package from New York was an adventure.

In the early years of child rearing, I created 2 new terms: “hand me up” and “hand me over”.  The concept is simple:  a “hand me down” is an item that is given to a younger person; a” hand me up” is an item given to an older person; a “hand me over” is an item given to a contemporary.  Recently, one of my daughters did a closet purge and I am now the recipient of several “new to me” tops—the perfect “hand me up”.  When my daughters exchange clothing, the “hand me over” concept plays out.  It is rare that any of the kids want to wear my clothes and if they would, I would be happy to give them my “hand me downs.”

Why is the important?  Because cleaning closets and drawers is a necessary and freeing activity.  It goes along with being organized.  The less “stuff” we have to deal with, the easier it is to find what we want and we can share our excess with others in the community.  One of my college aged granddaughters told me about a project at their school that promotes swap days.  Girls who want to exchange clothes meet and most everyone leave with something new to them. 

The takeaway is – go clean a closet or a drawer.  Decide what to do with the items- keep, pitch, give away.  Free up the energy around you for new inputs!