Hats On

Hats On!

Hats On!

    I do not like to wear hats -- but I wear one every day. Let me explain.

When I was young, hats were de rigueur – required in polite society. We wore bonnets to church, beanies (yes, beanies) to school, caps for sports, hats for clubs, wool hats in winter wand sunhats in summer. Hats were fashionable. We removed our hats to show respect and put them on to show allegiance. Hats were in.

But I hated to wear hats! I rebelled vociferously! Hats gave me a headache. Hats gave me hat-head. Hats limited my view. I looked terrible in hats. I didn’t care how stylish my hats were – I didn’t want anything to do with them. Most of the time, I put them on to please my hat-knitting grandmothers, to stay out of trouble at school, and to remain a member of the team, but I grumbled.

My mother, however, loved hats (read that LOVED hats). She had a hat for every occasion, and, if there wasn’t an occasion, she made one up to fit the hat! She had birthday hats, Santa hats, Halloween hats, Easter bonnets, and leprechaun bowlers, stove-pipe hats for patriotic holidays, and hats related to family events. She had hats from every corner of the globe. She had hats that sang and hats that danced. She wore them even while her six children ducked their heads and grimaced behind her. 

Today, she has a huge collection of hats. She carefully chooses one to wear each day. They make her happy. They make others happy too. People grin when they see her coming. Her Christmas tree hat with the blinking lights make children’s eyes light up. Her leprechaun hat brings smiles to more than Irish eyes. You can be sure that if it is your birthday --even if you are on the other side of the world -- Mom will have a hat on her head in your honor – complete with “flaming” candles. 

The smiles her hats inspire are mirrored by the smile on Mom’s face. She likes making people smile. She radiates joy. Even though her world has gotten smaller in the last few years, the happiness she shares with her smiles and her hats continues to spread.

So why do I wear a hat every day? Well, for practical reasons, of course. Hats keep the sun out of my eyes and off of my face. But more importantly, when I put a hat on my head, I think of my mother and smile. 

I remember how she smiled as she cared for her children, her husband, her mother, and her father-in-law – all ten of us who shared our family home. I remember how she welcomed every new neighbor as if they were family. I remember how she made friends with everyone she met. I remember that she continues to share this joy every day and in every place. How can I not smile with a mother like that?

So every day, when I put on my hat, I think of Mom and smile. I actually hope to get hat-head because if wearing hats make you as happy as Mom, I’m going to put one on. And, when I see you coming, I’m going to smile. I hope you smile too.