A girl can never have too many shoes or too many friends. Photo by Jean Thornton
I had a realization this week: good shoes are like good friends in many ways. This did not come about because I met a new friend with the exact same foot size plus a shoe collection twice as large as mine, which she likes to lend out. Actually, this thought came about starting with a meeting. I am a member of a social sorority; we meet once a month, have a variety of social outings, and hold a fundraiser for local charities each year. And yes, we drink a fair amount of wine.
This month’s meeting was only two days away when I realized no one had sent out the email reminder saying who was hosting. I suspected everyone was busy and had forgotten the meeting, perhaps being busy with the end of the holidays. So I decided I would invite the ladies to my condo thinking that not many would be able to attend.
Now let me explain that my apartment is not a huge; it’s mostly shoe closet. Okay, so that is an exaggeration…but it won’t be featured in a 6-page spread in Better Homes & Gardens. It would need maybe 2 pages to cover it. Nonetheless, I wrote out a quick email while on my 4th glass of red wine and hit send. Very quickly, my sorority sisters began responding with positive RSVPs. In no time, I was hosting more guests than I had thought I would.
After quick vacuuming, dusting off the diplomas (girls gotta look smart and clean), and flipping over the bath mats I was ready to host! Martha Stewart I am not. My sorority sisters arrived and my apartment began filling up. However, with each new guest, my apartment did not shrink but seemed to get a little bigger to let each person in. I would daresay that even more could have fit in.
Once the evening came to an end and I had said goodbye to my last friend, I went to put my shoes in their place in my shoe closet. I realized that there always seemed to be a place available for each pair of shoes I find. Just like the apartment the shoe closet was in, there always seems to be a little more space.
Which is how I came to the idea that good shoes are like good friends in that you can really never have too many. Sure you could argue that you can only wear one pair of shoes at time, but I can certainly admire many different pairs of shoes at once. Personally, I think that my shoes share a bond between one another and enjoy each other’s company.
And just like friends, you have different shoes for different events and situations. Some shoes are great for dancing; others for walking, just like some friends are great for having a drink with at the end of long day and others you can call on when you need a cup of sugar. Some friends are life-long friends just as some shoes are classics that you cherish for life while others shoes are seasonal. There are friends who make you feel very comfortable, like a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s, while other friends take you to new heights like a pair of six-inch stilettos.
The best part about both good shoes and good friends is that you truly never have enough. And even when you don’t wear your shoes everyday, it is always good to put them on again. Like a phone call to catch up with an old friend or friendly letter, you always cherish knowing they are there for you. And truly, both friends and shoes are invaluable.
So as this New Year begins, I resolve to appreciate both the good shoes and the good friends—and to welcome both into my home. Hopefully they will all feel welcome anytime. Luckily, this resolution comes just in time for the After-holiday Sales… because there’s always room for more shoes in my shoe closet and more friends in my home.
