# 22: My Mother’s Skirt

I’m pretty sure all women have “goal” clothing. It’s the favorite jeans, or dress, or swimsuit we keep even though they don’t fit. It’s the clothing that made us feel confident. We associate these pieces with some of our favorite or most cherished memories, and we hang onto them as a reminder to push forward and lose those last 10 lbs, or as a reward for getting our arms or legs toned.

For me, it’s a skirt. But not just any skirt. It’s a Pendleton wool skirt from the 1950’s. It’s blue, purple, and black plaid, knee length, with a kick pleat in the back.

It’s just that perfect skirt and looks amazing with a black turtleneck, black tights, and tall boots or loafers.

And it was my mother’s skirt when she was in college.

My mother had four daughters. She was a nurse, and she ran our household, worked full time, and also held down the fort so that our dad- her husband- could go to law school at night. For nine years.

My mother always put the needs of everyone else before her own. She would go without so we would not have to. She gave us summer camps and private school. When we were sick she would put on her nurse uniform and say, “the nurse is here to take care of you!”. She didn’t spend a lot on herself for hair or makeup, but always looked pretty. She wore a nurse’s uniform to work and didn’t spend much on clothes for herself.

But my mother had a select few pieces of clothes and this skirt was one of them. I know I was in my twenties when she gave it to me, because I used to wear it all the time.

When I look back now, though, it’s really so much more than just a pretty skirt. Yes, of course it reminds me of my younger, slimmer days. But it also reminds me not to take anything for granted. It reminds me of what a great mom - and for that matter, family - I was and still am lucky enough to have.

And it reminds me to find a good seamstress to let the waist out a little bit.