Comfortable Shoes
For the past several weeks I have been playing with the question, “Why am I so happy now?” I ask it of myself in the morning when I wake up and throughout the day, whenever it occurs to me. And it brings me back some very wonderful answers.Today the answer came from a pair of old shoes.
As I laced up a pair of worn sneakers that I pulled from the back of a closet to wear on my photo-walk, I suddenly realized how much I love these old shoes. They’re creased and scuffed and grassed-stained, but they support me where I need support. They’re soft and pliable in all the right ways, and they keep me from slipping when I’m on questionable terrain. Most of all, I suppose, I like how they are associated with so many wonderful memories. They’re like old friends. It made me happy, I realized, just to put them on.
As the evening unfolded, it brought with it old friends of the human persuasion, engaging in the kind of good, intimate conversation that happens between friends who know each other well.
I’m happy, I thought later, for the old friendships that grace my life, for the people who fit me like comfortable shoes. We’ve walked many roads together, in all kinds of weather. And like my shoes, they offer me support where I need it, the softness of their affection, and they keep me from slipping when I venture onto untried ground.
In today’s throw-away, mile-a-minute culture, what a treasure, what a comfort, enduring friendships provide. Despite the scuffs and wrinkles, they fit so beautifully well—even when you’ve left them in the back of the closet far too long.
If that’s where a couple of your old friends are, pull them out. Give them a little brushing—a phone call maybe, a catch-up email. Tell them you love them because they’re as wonderful as comfortable shoes.
Posted in Happiness Hows 
