I no do this job!!!!!!

Every time I think about the events of today I am both completely horrified and completely amused at the same time. It goes like this. Elle has a blankie.....a beloved, never sleep without it blankie. Well this blankie was once an adorable soft lime green with a pink background and cute little sheep jumping over little fences. She is 6 now and it is now in shreds. About 2 years ago I replaced the backing but now the front is literally falling apart and there is no hint that it was ever green......grey, muddy, blah is the color now with stains and holes. Well I decide it is time to replace the front with a cute new flannel in hopes of getting a few more years of life out of it.

So I head to the fabric store today, find a cute new print and head over to the local alterations shop. As I walk in there are several customers and I notice the nice Asian man at the counter looks at me, then down at the blankie I am holding and......I am not sure but I think I see disdain in his eyes, No I am sure I am wrong. I wait my turn as others enter the shop and wait patiently behind me. When it is my turn I toss the very old, blah colored, shredded blankie on the counter when, and this is no joke, the sweet Asian man at the counter recoils as if I had thrown a wet rotting mackerel fish on his counter. He even turned his head as if there were some kind of smell eviscerating from it. I am suddenly turning red as he looks at me and immediately says...."NO"!!! "Wait", I say, "I just need this fabric sewn on to the front of this blankie". Again he says louder, "NO, you buy new one, this one gross". "Oh sir you don't understand, she would kill me, I need this one redone, she loves it", I say. At this point he pushes the tattered fabric toward me with one finger, and repeats. "I no do this job". I go into begging mode. "Please sir, I need this done my daughter loves this blanket". At this point he is so mad that he screams, "Ma'am, I said I no work on this gross thing!!" and walks out the door slamming it behind him. I am standing there holding the shredded blankie in my hand in shock as the girl behind me, who is silent for a minute, quietly pipes up and says...."Umm, I think it's a no". I turn around and sheepishly smile "I guess so" I say and I quickly walk out.

I sat in the car for a minute and thought.....I think I have been blinded by Motherhood, so I look down at the blankie in my hands and realize that what I see in this blanket is; holding my newborn and rocking her to sleep, cuddles and tears when she had fallen and need it for comfort, I see the days when we couldn't find it and the whole house mobilized to help because we knew she couldn't sleep without it. I see her sleeping with her blankie under her cheek clutched tight as I go up to tuck her in one last time. All these sweet memories. But if I set them aside and put away all my love and memories.....I looked down and, hmmm funny thing I saw a rotting wet mackerel. I really don't blame that man.