THE OLD CLOTHES

     

Clothes - the more one has the less one perceives it to be.  Usually, it might have been observed that though wardrobes may be overflowing with collections of choice but on special occasions always the deficit is experienced.  It is true for most of us - we have all seen this in our households.  However, the more challenging period is when you buy expensive clothes for the tiny members of our family - our kids, our grandchildren and they wear it hardly on selected occasion and then one fine day it is discovered that it no longer fits the little one.  The clothes have become short - no, our little one has grown up.

Now the dilemma starts.  What to do with the old clothes - actually the clothes that are not old or worn out, (otherwise it does give a sense of satisfaction that we have used it enough to the worth of the money!!!)

There are several options like giving to a relative of ours who has a child of the same age or someone who is expecting to have one but this option also has many options to the answer - would they like this little gesture of kindness of ours? Would they feel we are underestimating their prowess to buy clothes like these? Will it ruin the relationship and so on and so forth.

Finally, usually the answer that the heart and mind gives us is let it be - do not experiment.  Then it is just stored in the wardrobe for many days due to the difficulty to part with it. Then when later new clothes are bought and there is not just enough space to accommodate the so-called old clothes, it become inevitable to discard them. With a heavy heart, feeling that such expensive clothing actually got wasted, the last resort would be our maid, the car cleaner or anyone needy who catches our attention. 

So finally the clothes get its new owner.  However, in the entire episode this is the point which needs to be given attention.  When the clothes are given away, ever marked the smile on the face of the receiver? They would never say they do not need it.  Inquire if there is a child of this age in your home and the answer would be yes or yes (my cousin has just delivered a child).  The smile, the gratitude, the sparkle in their eyes, the silent prayer they just offered to God is the new priceless price of the article.

That is why probably charity is so much acclaimed.

Regards

SRN