The Jacket

When Cameron was in second grade he received a new winter coat.  Zipped to the inside of it was a green and blue liner that Cam loved to take out and wear on it's own.  As Cameron never really changed in size over the next four years, it became a staple of his wardrobe.  In fact, I am pretty that he wore it during class everyday of his 5th grade year.

When Cameron started 6th grade, I begged him to get a new jacket.  The underarms of his beloved green and blue one had ripped at the seams.  It was impossible to fix because of the liner.  Even with my pleading and the tears, Cam refused to buy a new jacket.  That was until one day he was outside in our backyard enjoying the beautiful fall weather when I heard the door open.  He had come running in with a panicked look on his face.  No matter what he tried, he could not unzip his favorite outerwear.  I tried several times to get him out of it as did Doug.  There was nothing that worked and the jacket remained zipped up to his neck.  After thirty minutes of effort, Cameron finally agreed to let me cut it off of him.  Although, I had been encouraging him for a year or so to find a new jacket, I felt guilty as I cut along the seam.  Cameron handled it pretty well, especially when Meg reminded him that the same situation happened to Cookie years ago on Ned's Declassified in one of their favorite Nickelodeon shows.  It also helped that he soon found an IU jacket for the fall and spring season.

This August, Cameron came running down from his room with a huge grin on his face.  He had been looking for something in his closet when he came across a special find.  It was his blue and green jacket of long ago.  He put it one and was impressed that it still fit.  The sleeves were a little short, but otherwise it looked alright even with the tears in the underarms.  As he modeled it for us he said that he had a great idea.   He would wear his jacket in his Freshmen school picture.  I don't know who was more shocked, Doug or Cam, when I instantly said, "That's a great idea!"  Thus, on August 19th, he showered, changed, combed his hair and took the most memorable school picture of his life.  It's one that I will cherish for many years to come.