What’s Your Woobie?

This scene, from one of my favorite movies, is also my favorite scene in that movie.

Mr. Mom marked the beginning of an era, a time when roles really were reversing in the American family, a time when Dads not only stepped into the role of Mom but embraced that role in its entirety whether due to divorce or simply allowing their partners to step into the workforce to follow their own dreams.

 

 

Do you have a Woobie,  something so treasured that you have loved it to shreds and could not fathom being in a world without it? Sometimes it is something so innocuous that you may not even realize the role it plays in your psyche.  Your relationship with this object has crept over you so slowly, insidiously infecting your soul when you weren’t looking, that you don’t even realize the larger than life effect that losing it would have on your heart.

 

Take my Ray Ban tee shirt.  My oh-so-special, one-of-a-kind, treasured by the hubs but given over to me with the promise that I would follow all the rules of ownership to the T(ee) hehe. It was vintage, I never wore it and kept it folded in a drawer, wrapped in paper for many years-literally.  Then came the dawning that special-unless you are planning to sell it for bucks-isn’t so special if hidden away.

 

So, I started wearing it occasionally, just to sleep in, and never dried it in the machine. It was hung with care and used only on special occasions. Then I reached another plateau.  The damn thing was so comfy.  The more I slept in it, the more comfy it became. Just the right amount of big, it enveloped me in jersey cotton love, Summer or Winter, and took me into its iconic embrace never to return me to my scratchy lacy teddy again.

 

 

Eventually, wearing led to more washing, washing led to drying and finally, the moths decided they loved it too. One tiny hole became a dozen, the brilliant colors began to fade and-you know the rest.

 

 

 

How could I ever live without this wonderful object of my history with my husband, that special gift he surrendered to me in good faith? Not to worry-he smiles about all the wear I have gotten out of it, but he also feels my sorrow at having to say goodbye.

 

 

But not yet….there is still enough intact cloth to keep it on my shoulders.  I can do it tomorrow-or next week.  Maybe I won’t wear it for a few weeks and give it a break.  Oh God, I am going to miss my Woobie!!!

 

 

Can you empathize?  What’s your Woobie?