I’m not sure when it all started, but I guess that’s probably what most people say when they try to remember the beginning of a tradition. For whatever reason, my Mom almost always seemed to be visiting in March. Sometimes it would be before the Big 12 Tournament and other times just after, but nevertheless, she would be here and that meant that the quest for our Jayhawk t-shirts would begin. Sometimes we shopped at the mall, other times we found shirts at Dillons and then there were times we would visit a local sports store and the fun would begin. Would we get a red shirt, a blue shirt, a white shirt? Eventually heather gray would become an option. Classic Jayhawk, retro bird, large logo, no logo? So many choices. You know Casey was always down to find a new Jayhawk shirt and just like that, another generation was added into the mix. It wasn’t really March Madness if we didn’t have a new shirt to support our favorite team!

Those days are gone now. Casey and I try our best to keep the tradition. Back in the day, most of the shirt themes revolved around a conference title or a tournament title. And if you know, you know that didn’t happen this year. Trust me that doesn’t mean we didn’t support our team, we have plenty of swag to do that! We just didn’t get new gear in March.

I’m not sure what my Mom would think about her memory being associated with Jayhawk t-shirts, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t mind. I mean the woman had a whole room dedicated to Jayhawk memorabilia! Looking back, I feel blessed that we were able to share this fandom. Just one of a million reasons why she is missed.

#RockChalkForever

---

Empty Chairs, Everywhere is a personal grief diary as I process the loss of my Mother to COVID-19.