POST by FRAN: Waste-not, Want not

“ MUM! This shirt is too small!”

“Mum, these pants are stained!”

“I can’t find a shirt that is wearable!”

Have you ever had clothes that don’t fit you anymore or are stained? That was my problem. I had way too many old, small, big and tattered clothing. So one day Mum told me “If you don’t want something, just put it in a pile and I will hand it out topeople in  the community.” So one day I decided to go through ALL of my clothes and the clothes of  my sister, Lorenzy.

First I went to Lorenzy’s room and pulled everything out of her untidy, wooden closet. I found all sorts of things! Teddy bears, lipsticks, bags, and anything else you could think of (and I do mean ANYTHING!!!) As I started going through her clothes I found really old T-shirts that we had in Australia (over 4 years ago)! Cute little T-shirts with butterfly patterns on them, ones that I can see Talia (or Talila as Lorenzy calles her), my cousin, in.

I had to fold everything because Lorenzy is not an organized girl! I found a lot of clothing that had gone missing for a long time! I felt like an apparel version of Sherlock homes. It took me two whole days to finish her entire wardrobe. It’s not a big wardrobe either, it has three drawers and an empty rack to hang clothes on!

On day three I went through my wardrobe. Mine is a lot more organized (I guess it’s a first born thing... both my parents are second born and they are not organized either). I have four small drawers and a rack for hanging clothes.

My PJs are in one drawer. My under-wear, socks and hats in another, just  above the PJs drawer. In the other two drawers I place my shorts, skirts and leggings. I hang up the rest on the rack in the closet.

 First I started with the rack. I mainly found clothes that are really baggy and big, which could fit Jonny (one of our Trickers) better that anyone, so I put those clothes in a pile for him. Then I made two piles of clothes that were not wanted/stained and too small/not fitting anymore.

I finished sorting in three days, and gave all of the loved, but needing to give away clothes, to Mum. Within a week I saw little girls wearing the t-shirts that were too small for me. Every time I saw them wearing one of my outfits, it made me smile, because I know these little girls look up to Lorenzy and me, and it makes me happy to see them in our clothes. Actually, the clothes looked better on them than they did on us! It makes these girls know that they are special and that we love to give to them, even if we don't have extremely nice gifts to offer.

“Fran, this was your t-shirt, right?”

“Yep, and now it’s yours because I love you so much!”