It’s Nice to Be Missed…

Still here.

To my faithful blog readers, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I’ve received dozens of notes over the last few days asking if I was okay after having taken a few days break from writing the blog.

What I was doing was racking up more subjects to write about, whether I’ll get to them all is another matter entirely. Quite a bevy of topics to select from!

My dear friend from Halifax, whom I’ve mentioned many times on this blog, flew in again to visit for a few days.

We (and I use the “royal we”, it is she who did all the work) spent time clearing out some closet space for my daughter who arrives home next weekend. In our one bedroom apartment there’s one tiny clothes closet, which was inconveniently divided by the previous occupant into two levels that allow nothing longer than a shirt to be hung. My wardrobe has become very small, yet it easily filled up the available closet space leaving no room for my daughter’s clothes.

Items that used valuable space in the front hall had to go find new homes. In particular, my corporate work wardrobe. Try not to laugh when I tell you that I left the corporate world about eleven years ago and had saved my good suits and shoes. For all these years, I believed that I might have occasion to don them again.

Clothing wise, nothing really has compared to how a well fitting, classically styled suit would make me feel. My work clothes were an investment, and each suit would be nipped and tucked by a seamstress immediately after purchase to fit me like a glove. The suit, a pair of pumps and a fresh haircut – I’d feel like I could take on whatever the day could throw me.

It was time to let them go. Seven months ago when I moved here I couldn’t do it, there was still hope left. As silly as that may sound.

This week, it didn’t hurt at all. Okay, maybe a wee bit. Likely far less because I knew where they were going. At the suggestion of, and with the assistance of a friend those suits (and those beautiful leather pumps!) were delivered to a women’s shelter. They’ll be made available to women who could likely use clothing that helps them feel like they can take on whatever the day could throw at them when they face their abusive partner in court.

To the women who might wear these clothes under challenging circumstances, I send wishes for strength and courage to get through those difficult days. I’m sure from time to time I’ll think back on how wearing those suits made me feel, and I’ll be thinking of the battles these women face. May they believe in themselves and trust what they know to be the best path for themselves and their children. If I may speak from experience, that might well be the most important part of the battle.