Pink Shoes

Cinderella is known for her glass slippers.

Kenzie, for her pink shoes.

These pink shoes in fact, no definite article needed and no other name sufficient - "pink shoes". First ever to be hand-selected by the wearer (much to the chagrin of said wearer's mother who had specifically walked down the Target little girls shoe aisle for either black or white shoes - meant to be worn to a black and white graduation party honoring K's aunts. Once the pink shoes had been spotted nothing else would existed).

Pink shoes were replaced today. Airy, white sandals adorned with flowers and butterflies purchased to take their place. 

True confession: putting those worn, too tight, "sharpie-shined" pink shoes into the trash was too much for me. Subsequently rescued and wedged into the overflowing "memory" bin, evidently pink shoes' seductive tentacles had wound as suffocatingly around me as they had my daughter. 

 Those shoes had given me almost as much joy as they had K. Loving to grant my child's every sincere request, it thrilled my heart to respond in the affirmative to K's gleeful squeal of "pink shoes"! She wore them while working, playing, snuggling and dancing. They accompanied us to parties, worship, restaurants and museums. 

What remains now of these adorable, sassy little shoes are pictures (shockingly few of them considering how daily they were strapped on), and memories. Memories of a little girl learning to run, leap, and twirl, assisted in part by the magic of dearly treasured shoes.  

There will be many shoes in my little fashionista's future, and hopefully many opportunities to grant her simple requests. While not extravagant people, nor desiring to be such, our family is one focused on saying "yes" as often as possible to our children. Cultivating little hearts happy with the joys before them, and thrilling in the evident mercies of our Creator. He delights in giving good gifts to us, His children. I pray I will be guided by Him in delighting to bless my children with good gifts - basic, physical needs yes; but, more specifically those gifts of family time, adventures, wood-chopping!, and worship. Sometimes those gifts may attend a wearer of special, beloved shoes - and I will rejoice.