What Not To Wear

Lately, my son would be the ideal candidate for the fashion fix-it show, "What Not To Wear."

A few nights ago, Drew discovered a pair of long, black soccer socks tucked in the back of his sock drawer. Still in their packaging, the socks were several sizes too big for our son (I hit a sale, what can I say?), but I handed them over to him anyway.

It was love at first sight, as Drew tugged the socks clumsily over his ankles and pulled them up way past the knees. He began rummaging through his shorts drawer to find "soccer pants" and the perfect "soccer shirt" to complete his ensemble. An hour later, I coaxed him away from the ball he'd been kicking around the living room and ushered him into his bedroom for the night. I allowed him to keep the socks on as he fell asleep, and I carefully removed them only after he was slumbering soundly.

The next morning, I peered into his room...my son was reading a book in his bed, soccer socks securely fitted back over his little legs.

That day, we were off for a blueberry-picking field trip with several friends. As we arrived, one mommy was brave enough to ask what I'm sure all the others were wondering, "What's up with the socks?" I explained that he hadn't removed them in about 12 hours, and I just didn't have the heart to insist that he remove them quite yet.

Several hours later, we joined our friends at Kindermusik class...still sporting the same socks that he'd now been wearing for about 24 hours. After class was over, he removed the socks from his feet and hasn't worn them since.

I have to be honest, I was really relieved! For, however much I want my son to explore his creativity and imagination, I find that I battle pride (or ego or something) when he's walking around dressed in some sort of goofy concoction that I would NEVER choose for him.

You know, pride is a bad thing. It's something I truly struggle with. The Bible is bursting with warnings against it (Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 29:23, Ecclesiastes 7:8, Colossians 3:12, I could go on...but we ALL get the point).

I thank God that He loves me enough to want to deliver me from my prideful ways. And I appreciate His sense of humor as He gives me ways to practice humility. While my son's fashion choices are slightly embarassing and a little hard to explain, I'm wearing a much more offensive "outfit" when I choose to clothe myself in pride and arrogance and the desire for others to compliment the way my kid looks or dresses.

So, today, Drew walked out of his room in full Superman regalia (complete with red cape).

"I'm ready to go, Mommy!"

And we were off to the vet and the drugstore.

Maybe if I could just let him wear a sticker that says, "I dressed myself today"....