Dear Evan, Adeline, and Malina,

A few years from now, while you are doing your Saturday chores (hint hint) you will stumble upon some pictures of your Mom and I.  You’ll stare at those pictures as if you were holding an ancient artifact. Oh you’ll have a great time laughing at the way we dressed, wondering if we were just as embarrassed to be seen in those clothes then as you would be now.

What you don’t realize is at the time those photographs were taken, the clothes we were wearing were actually the clothes that everyone was wearing.  What you now see as ridiculous was considered, “in style”.  As teenagers, we beg, borrow, and steal to be “in”, only to find out (just a few years later) that we are now “out” only to realize a few years after that (somehow) we are back “in” again. That’s the thing about popular fashion, it’s a constantly moving target designed to keep you ready to spend your parent’s money so you can look like everyone else.

So have a great laugh at our expense, but never forget this children….that one day….

One day someone will look at you in a picture, and see you in those clothes that you just had to have, and they will laugh and laugh. You see time is the great equalizer, and given enough time, you too will find yourself trying to defend your fashion choices to a group of teenagers who look at you like you were wearing a clown suit.  You will try to explain to them that you were actually “in” and “cool”…. but it won’t work.

I look forward to that day, children, when a younger generation looks at your skinny jeans and neck scarves and Toms shoes and says to you the immortal words of every passing generation, “what were you thinking?”

Enjoy those pictures.

Love,

Your Dad.

This post is part of a continuing series entitled, “Letters to my Children.” You can learn more by clicking here.