Christmas traditions

When we were younger, the Hero and I both tended to get instantly attached to one of the gifts we'd gotten for Christmas. And when I say "younger," I mean just this past Christmas. 


The Hero received a burgundy flannel shirt that he immediately bonded with, and refuses to be separated from. He will not take it off even long enough for me to wash it. I suspect he sneaks it to work when I am not looking ("Hey, uh, Bill, could you, like, hold on to this shirt for me for a while?...How long? Uh, just 'til my wife's done doing the laundry... Thanks, dude. Oh, and uh, if my wife calls, the shirt's not here. You know nothing about it.").


I have threatened to dump both him AND the shirt in the washer. Nothing moves him.


The main reason I bought this shirt was that I had grown extremely tired of seeing him in another of his flannel shirts, which was plaid and which he also wore everywhere, probably even to church under his suit jacket. He tends to show extreme loyalty to certain clothing items ("I pledge allegiance to the shirt..."). But now that he has abandoned the plaid shirt in favor of the new one, I feel guilty. This is not helped by the fact that the unloved, cast-off shirt looks at me reproachfully whenever I pass it. 


I personally take a slightly different tact with Christmas gifts. The more I like them, the longer they sit under the tree. I make a nice little pile so I can look at them every now and then.


When I was little this came in handy when various well-meaning relatives asked what I'd gotten for Christmas. I was much more likely to remember the correct answers if the gifts were still together under the tree. If they had all been removed to more permanent locations, I would have to make things up: "Uh, I got a, uh, a tea set. Yeah, a tea set."


"Oh, how nice," the relatives would say. "We'll have to have tea with you sometime."


Fortunately they never made good on these threats, or I would have had to come up with a tea set from somewhere.


There is a glimmer of hope now for getting the new shirt washed. The Hero noted a small stain on the sleeve, and is fearful that he will ruin his beloved shirt if it does not receive proper care. So, probably in another month he'll be ready to let it go. I'll be sure to have the plaid flannel ready as an emergency substitute.