Val bought a black hooded sweatshirt four or five years ago. It had a large patch stitched to the front of it, which after a few months she decided she didn’t like, so she took it off. Then she decided she didn’t like taking it on and off over her head, so she cut up the middle of the front of it. She promptly decided that she wanted a zipper put in it. I bought a zipper, but still managed to blow her off, eventually stitching up the ragged seams, but telling her that she wouldn’t zip it anyway, so why should I put one in.

It’s been hanging in her closet for quite some time. She found it tonight in her packing frenzy, trying to make sure that she has everything she might need for a six month stay in Kenya.

“This is the sweatshirt I want to wear on the plane,” she announced. Then handed it to me, “You need to put in the zipper.”

I hesitated. I’ve been sewing for years, nothing ever too fancy, but I think I do ok. But in all those years, I think I maybe sewed in one zipper, and it wasn’t pretty.

Here is Val, my almost 20-year old princess, flying off to volunteer for six months in Africa. Maybe she is a little bit afraid, but shouldn’t she be? Isn’t that normal?

So what is wrong with me that I am afraid to put in a zipper?

I sewed it, and it looks ok, and Val hasn’t taken the sweatshirt off yet since I gave it to her to try on a couple hours ago.