Open Letter to a Teenager

Let's trade shoes.......

Mine are worn.

Can you fill my shoes? It's not as easy as you think.

For I wore your shoes once. Long ago.

They were comfortable, even inspiring. I was convinced that they were the best shoes in the world. Better than any of the old, worn shoes I saw. New is better, isn't it?

But, they aged quickly, and became painful. Although they still looked good, I continued to wear them, and tell myself that they were better. As much as I tried, they would not soften. They grew more and more painful each day. Still, I convinced myself that they were better. After all, they still looked better than the old worn out ones that I saw.

There came a day when my shoes failed me. They were unbearable. I fumbled briefly with other new shoes, and even no shoes. I finally
found a pair that would wear with me as I aged. At first I wept at their ugliness. I stumbled frequently as they seemed too big at times.

There have been days when they would not fit, and days when they were so big that I could barely walk in them.

We as adults must wear these shoes. We cannot wear yours anymore.
Oh, yes. Sometimes we can put them on and pretend for a few moments, but we always find our way back to the old worn shoes we know best.

They are not new...

They are not attractive....

They are each our own, and no one else's.

Can you wear my shoes? Because some days they don't even fit me.

Too big to tie, and stained with tears.