L was devastated this afternoon when we tried to put on her "pitty bown shoes" and they didn't fit. The tears were finally quieted when I promised her we would look downstairs for new ones tonight, and give the other shoes to Baby B. She was completely delighted when we found another pair of pretty brown shoes in the box of hand-me-downs in the basement, and ran up the stairs to show them off to J and Daddy.
It reminds me of a man I met on a garbage dump called "Smokey Mountain" in Manila one summer during college. He was a scavenger, who likely made his home on the dump out of recycled/found objects, and sold other such things to make a meager living. He had recently found 2 shoes while scavenging, and though they didn't match, there was a right and a left, and they were close to the same size. He showed me his loot with pride, and was clearly thrilled with his good fortune that day.
Even though I was profoundly touched by this experience 20 years ago, I had forgotten how to be grateful for the small things: the smile on L's face after receiving "new" second-hand shoes, the smell of J's hair when I kiss her sleeping cheek, the warmth in my bed of my husband on cold nights, the senile old dog that loves me so much that he waits outside the shower for me to come out, the knowledge that I will always have matching shoes. I will try to remember to live each day with a thankful heart for all those little things I sometimes take for granted.
T
It reminds me of a man I met on a garbage dump called "Smokey Mountain" in Manila one summer during college. He was a scavenger, who likely made his home on the dump out of recycled/found objects, and sold other such things to make a meager living. He had recently found 2 shoes while scavenging, and though they didn't match, there was a right and a left, and they were close to the same size. He showed me his loot with pride, and was clearly thrilled with his good fortune that day.
Even though I was profoundly touched by this experience 20 years ago, I had forgotten how to be grateful for the small things: the smile on L's face after receiving "new" second-hand shoes, the smell of J's hair when I kiss her sleeping cheek, the warmth in my bed of my husband on cold nights, the senile old dog that loves me so much that he waits outside the shower for me to come out, the knowledge that I will always have matching shoes. I will try to remember to live each day with a thankful heart for all those little things I sometimes take for granted.
T
