84-LanCaster Farming, Saturday, November 28, 1
Taking
Time
by
Rebecca
Escott
Thinking About Old
Pajamas
A couple weeks ago, I man
aged to tear through the sleeve
of my favorite pair of flannel
pajamas. I didn’t even know I
was doing it. My elbow bent, and
the fabric ripped. (After all it is
a well-worn, well-loved pair of
pajamas') My husband urged me
to discard them and get a new
pair, but I’m resisting.
What is it about old pajamas
that makes them so hard to part
with 7 As I thought about my
dilemma, I also though about
how losses and changes are
faced m more serious arenas of a
family’s life.
Here’s what I’ve concluded-
Old pajamas are comfortable
and familiar. We’ve grown accus
tomed to one another. When
things are comfortable, familiar,
and connected, partings are dif
ficult.
Besides that, I’m frugal. I
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could just cut the sleeves off and
turn the edge under the rest
of the garment still has life. I
wonder how older people feel
when they’re no longer able to
function they way they’d like.
Does society tend to discard
them for a more useful, fully
functioning model, or are we
willing to make adjustments
and look at other ways a person
can contribute? Does a change
make me totally useless as a
person, or can I regroup 7
This past week, I was also
learning about people’s tempera
ments. Some people are slow to
adjust, creatures of habit who
don’t like giving up things they
are used to. Other people who
split out the sleeve of an old pair
of pajamas would rejoice
because they could justify a new
purchase (after all they were
tired of that pair, wanted a dif
ferent color, and just saw a neat
pair in a catalog last week, etc.)
Guess which temperament I
have?
So what can this experience
teach us about change and loss?
First, I need to recognize that
it’s okay to give up some things.
Making a change can be a diffi
cult step, but also a good step. If
my frugality gets in the way, I
could drop the item off at the
recycling center. Of course, I
could also choose to retrofit
them with my sewing machine
and keep wearing them.
I am also reminded that what
seems like a little change to one
person may be a bigger one to
another. I can’t tell you how
many times my siblings and I
urged/forced my Mom to pitch
things. At other times we shook
our heads in amazement that
she was willing to hang on to
seemingly useless items. NOW
here I am, wanting to hang onto
my old pajamas and others are
telling me to pitch them. I don’t
like how that feels.
This is teaching me, once
again, to be quick to think and
slow to direct and judge. I’ve
found when a person chooses to
make the change by himself
rather than having the change
forced on him, it is a much more
positive experience.
Of course, it’s not always pos
sible to control when the change
happens and what we can do.
We don’t control when layoffs
occur, car accidents happen,
children get the flu, refrigera
tors break down, or grocery
stores close. In those cases, it’s
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good to mourn the loss even if
it’s only old pajamas.
Acknowledge the change creates
some difficulty. Ask for help
from others if you need it and
then step out to adjust to the
new situation one hour at a
time, one day at a time.
The old flannel shirt is still in
my drawer. I haven’t made up
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my mind yet about this little
change. But whatever happens,
I’m going to be more sensitive to
others that I encounter who are
having trouble making changes
in their lives. Maybe someone
you love is struggling with a
change. Before you jump in with
advice, take the time to think of
my dilemma. Then speak gently.
the firm foundation of love and
trust or the wide exposure to dif
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stores, and people as does a dog
raised by a nurturing family in a
home. Without puppy raisers,
we would not have the caliber of
Seeing Eye dogs that our gradu
ates enjoy today.”
Seeing Eye representatives
stay in close touch with the vol
unteers to help with the puppies’
care and handling. The Seeing
Eye pays for all veterinary bills
and provides a monthly
allowance for food. After about
18 months, the dogs return to
The Seeing Eye to begin their
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