I own a few shirts of my father. Some were hand-me-downs, some were intentionally kept and tossed my way, and some were stolen.
One of my favorite shirts is one that I never can remember him actually wearing. I can’t know quite remember how I came by it – maybe I found in the back of the closet as a rummaged around in early high school, maybe my Mom pawned it off on me to clear space. Either way, as I pounced and slipped it on, hopping around giddily in front of my Dad, he just scrunched his face and said, “Oh, that one.”
It’s like gauze, soft with age, striped in pastels, and has a collar and a pocket. Everything a girl, in my mind, needs. It’s perfect for hot summer days, enough to wear with a tank top, but enough to afford me a flowing shield against the contours of my body. I have dozens of pictures of myself wearing it through the years.
Posted by firewings 












