Sunday, November 6, 2016

These Old Shoes





        These. Old. Shoes. Hand-Me-Downs. Surpassed their life expectancy. Soles slick as snot.
        Whenever Roy wants to wear a skirt, she chooses her "Jordan Shoes". And I ask her, "Would you not prefer these snazzy ones? "
        "Jordan Shoes, mom!"
        Is it a shorts-and-Tshirt kind of day?
        "Jordan Shoes, mom!"
        She delights in the fact she has gym class five days a week. She would wear them every day if I let her. She has seven other pairs of shoes, five that work perfectly well for gym. She first wore them when they were too big. And now they are verging on being too small.
        But: These. Old. Shoes.
        If you asked her, she might tell you that part of her heart is missing. You see, the young girl, this amazing Jordan, who lived across the street, moved across town. She doesn't get to see her every day anymore. But I know she thinks about her daily.