An Update on the Shoes
Over the course of a year, extensive usage turns my mother’s white Velcro shoes light brown and causes holes to sprout around the seams. My mother finally admits she needs new ones, and no one disagrees with her.
At Christmas, my younger sister gives her a pair of white, backless tennis shoes. They slip on, so laces and Velcro are not a hindrance. My mother is surprised to open the box and see them (apparently not remembering that she tried them on at the store a week earlier), but the shoes quickly become her favorite gift.
For several days, she says, “Look at these” and shows them off by lifting one foot off the ground and pointing the toe.
“Really nice,” I reply each time. “How are they?”
“Good,” she says, smiling and nodding her head. “Thanks for them.”
“It wasn’t me. You’ll have to thank Sara.”
She nods her head with more purpose. “Yes.”
The first night, she sports them with her pajamas and almost wears them to bed.
She parades them around the house and outside as the weather permits. When snow covers the ground, she switches to her Velcro pair so she doesn’t get the new ones dirty. Though she sometimes gets confused and winds up wearing one of each (Velcro on the left foot, backless on the right, or vice versa), she finds the matching pair eventually, and then doesn’t hesitate to show them off when someone asks.
Just mentioning her shoes makes her smile.
At Christmas, my younger sister gives her a pair of white, backless tennis shoes. They slip on, so laces and Velcro are not a hindrance. My mother is surprised to open the box and see them (apparently not remembering that she tried them on at the store a week earlier), but the shoes quickly become her favorite gift.
For several days, she says, “Look at these” and shows them off by lifting one foot off the ground and pointing the toe.
“Really nice,” I reply each time. “How are they?”
“Good,” she says, smiling and nodding her head. “Thanks for them.”
“It wasn’t me. You’ll have to thank Sara.”
She nods her head with more purpose. “Yes.”
The first night, she sports them with her pajamas and almost wears them to bed.
She parades them around the house and outside as the weather permits. When snow covers the ground, she switches to her Velcro pair so she doesn’t get the new ones dirty. Though she sometimes gets confused and winds up wearing one of each (Velcro on the left foot, backless on the right, or vice versa), she finds the matching pair eventually, and then doesn’t hesitate to show them off when someone asks.
Just mentioning her shoes makes her smile.
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