Capes – for me they conjure up images of superheroes.
When my kids were young, we had Superman pajamas with a cape that could be attached by Velcro tabs on the shoulders. All the kids wore the same pajamas. By the time he was about 3 years old, it was my youngest son’s turn to wear the coveted Superman pajamas.
With his older brothers in school, it was just him and me. I arranged my work schedule so we could go grocery shopping during the day, as evenings were filled with extracurricular activities. I also preferred to only take one kid to the grocery store with me.
Unfortunately, my little gem did not like going to the grocery store. However, he did love his Superman pajamas and was not interested in wearing anything else. Which was fine when we were just home by ourselves. I tried to persuade him to get dressed, into anything he would like to wear to the grocery store.
He was having none of it. Rather than fighting about what to wear and then taking a miserable toddler to the grocery store, which assuredly would not be fun for anyone, I just let him wear his Superman pajamas, complete with cape, to the grocery store. He sat quite happily in the cart, ate his snack, and we were out of there in no time, with no drama. Thank you, Superman!
Graduation Day – and the Missing Cape
There was something about a cape that really appealed to my middle son. From the time he was 10 or so, he had a red hoodie. One didn’t always need a hoodie. Other kids tied their hoodie around their waist when they didn’t need it. But Kyle thought that looked like an apron, and he didn’t want to wear his un-used hoodie that way. So he tied the sleeves together, and wore his red hoodie like a cape.
This look became Kyle’s signature. Kyle wore his red hoodie cape every day, right up until he graduated from grade 8. In fact, on graduation day, between the ceremony and the dinner, Kyle’s teacher suggested we go home and get his cape, because he just didn’t look right without it.
I think Kyle did not wear his cape to high school. However, the year he turned 18, we went for a bicycle ride in the spring. He was in grade 12. We stopped at a really interesting lookout point on the bicycle trail – it was overlooking supports for an old train bridge across the river. Kyle wore his cape. I mean hoodie….cape.
We had a lovely bicycle ride and I took his picture. Kyle looked confident, powerful and unstoppable, in a silly kind of way, in his red hoodie cape. Kyle would be going away to university that fall, and I treasured that bicycle ride with him.
The Magic of a Cape
I read that for children, wearing a cape can symbolize strength, power and protection. I also read that Henry Ford said whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right. Does a cape help a child to believe they can? Does it really help them to feel strong, powerful and capable?
If it does, is there an adult equivalent to wearing a cape to help us feel strong, confident and powerful? Ephesians 6:10-11 comes to mind. The text tells us to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. It tells us to “put on” the full armor of God so we may take our stand against evil schemes.
We don’t put actual armor on, we just imagine.
Interesting how a red necktie is considered a “power tie”, which conveys confidence, authority and leadership. Just like a cape.
I don’t wear a cape, or a red power tie. But I do have a necklace that came with a note card. The card says, “braver than I believe, stronger than I seem, smarter than I think and loved more than I know.” When I wear that necklace, I repeat this mantra to myself.
The cape, tie, necklace or whatever it is doesn’t actually give us strength and confidence. It reminds us that we are enough. More than enough – that we are strong and confident.
What is your cape? What reminds you that you are more than enough? That you are strong and confident?
Go put it on, and have super day.
