Today I wore the tie my son chose.

He and I were shopping for clothes one day. Rather, I was shopping for clothes. He was tired and decided to lay down on the sales floor carpet in front of a display of dress shirts.

I found a couple shirts I liked and a tie to match one. Any day you find a nice dress shirt in your size and in a color you like for $4.99 is a good day. Even better when you discover a nice tie to match for a similar price.

My son was still lying on the floor. An occasional shopper would stroll through and raise and eyebrow upon finding him. I kept close watch, so I knew he was safe.

I found a third shirt and another tie. By now my son had regained some strength. He asked if I was done yet. Almost. I suggested he help me find another tie. The sooner I have a matching tie, the sooner we can find mom and sister. That’s all it took.

I found a couple ties, but neither seemed quite right.

The tie my son chose

He took a tie off one of the tables. “You should buy this one, because it looks cool.”

Hmm. Not really a pattern I would have chosen, but it was a perfect match for the shirt.

“Looks good to me. Let’s buy it.”

He gained a definite spring in his step.

Today I wore the tie my son chose. It matches the shirt perfectly. I showed him when I returned home from work.

He did not remember choosing the tie.