It took over a decade, but I can no longer shop for my son’s clothes. And while I miss it, I don’t. Because it means he’s growing up in the best way possible, gaining autonomy and self-confidence. He’s transforming into a man before my very eyes, a fashionable one at that, and it means everything to him and me, though in different ways.
Clothing and self-esteem are closely linked for almost everyone, and the link took less time to happen than I’d anticipated for my son. Quickly gone were the days wanted him to look, replaced by the days when he chose how wanted to look. Yes, I paid for the clothes, but he was the one wearing them, having his confidence defined by them.
