not-so-new shoes

My youngest is an outlier in our family of giants. My husband (just shy of 6’5”), myself (6’), and my oldest son (always falling around 97% for his age) receive comments regularly on our height. In contrast, yesterday I carried my not-quite-five-year-old on my back in his baby carrier, and albeit snug, he still fit.

Because he has taken his time to grow, we have gotten our money’s worth out of every piece of clothing and pair of shoes he owns. This morning was a day for celebration. He officially needed a new pair of shoes. And when I say new, I obviously mean new to him, as we have a bin full of the ones our older son grew in and out of within about a month.

When I brought them from the garage, the child was elated. He grinned from ear to ear as I pressed down on the Velcro where fuzz and unknowns had collected from previous wear. You see, I bought these shoes and a collection of others from a mom whose son had outgrown them as well. Needless to say, I wouldn’t call them new.

But he did. “Look at my NEW shoes!” were the first words out of his mouth as a teacher opened his car door this morning at school. He was beaming.

Perspective is funny, isn’t it? In our world of have and have-nots where the highlights of the lives of others pass under our noses daily, it is commonplace to gradually shift from a feeling of having enough, to longing for the new whatever that someone else possesses.

And it doesn’t actually have to be a thing. It can be a feeling. A talent. An opportunity.

But what if, for today, we were proud of what is ours? Grateful for our not-quite-new shoes. Aware that what we have is special, even if it doesn’t appear as shiny as what our neighbor holds. And what if we take the time to remember that at one point, we didn’t have all that we do today? Likely our gratitude was immense for the exact same piece that feels stale in this moment. So what if the problem is not what we possess, but instead, our perspective?

Today I choose to be like my tiny one. To grin and experience joy. To embrace gratitude fully for all that I have, including the not-so-new shoes on my feet.

Originally shared April 29, 2022