The Green Coat

My mom was a seamstress in China.

She use to sew matching outfits for my sisters and I when we were growing up in Fresno.

After she passed,

We discovered two beautiful quilts that she was working on.

She made them from fabrics she had used since our childhood.

Such special pieces of art.

My sister Julie had them completed.

One of the units of study in ETK is CLOTHING.

One activity from the unit was a

"WEAR YOUR FAVORITE/SPECIAL CLOTHING TO SCHOOL DAY."

I wore Mom's green coat.

I had never worn it before.

It was sitting in the closet with a few other special pieces.

I don't know much about the history of the coat, 

but I do remember seeing it on mom growing up.

I thought there may be a photo of her wearing it

but never found one.

It reminds me of her.

And I love the color.

The morning when I put it on,

I noticed a few things.

The buttons that seemed a bit odd.

It didn't seem like buttons I would find on a coat of that color.

It looked like something mom would have sewn.

I never imagined it was something she had made.

I just assumed she had bought it when she arrived in America.

Then I looked closer.
I examined the stitches on the hem.
They looked so familiar.
I knew then that she must have handmade this coat.

As I went over ever inch of the coat,
I felt her presence.
I knew she had probably chosen the fabric,
the lining, the odd, brown buttons.
There was no tag,
but everything about that coat
was mom.... well maybe not the texture.
It's beautiful, but itchy.
We both don't like itchy.

I have always loved that coat.

I love it even more now.