Franny received her princess nightgown for Christmas when she was three years old.  It quickly became the equivalent to a security blanket.  She slept with it every night, without exception.  Even when the kids had their matching pajamas—by her own request—she would wear them and then, after she went to bed, she would change back into her nightgown.  When she was upset, she’d put it on, and she was at home, she would wear it nearly all the time.  For some time, I was concerned what she was going to do when it just became too small for her to wear.  I tried to find the same one, but couldn’t find it in her size.  She probably wouldn’t have worn it, anyway—for Franny, there was just something very special about this nightgown.  Then, a few weeks ago, she began to wear other things to bed.  Sometimes it was another nightgown, other times it was just sweatpants and a shirt.  She would go back to her nightgown, forego it for a while, and then, go back to it again.  The day before we left on our vacation, she officially gave it to me to put away with her other outgrown clothes.   She said that Delaney could wear it when she got older.  Although I agreed with her, what she doesn’t know is that this nightgown will go in a very special place I have for very special Franny memories.