New Shoes to
Celebrate
by
Terry Barrett
The week before Easter, I took my son Nicholas to
get a new pair of shoes. I realized as I planned for the shopping
trip that this was his first new pair of shoes – he had always just
worn hand-me-downs from his sister.
For the first couple of
years of his life, Nicholas wasn't walking. It never seemed urgent
or necessary to get him new shoes. I had hoped that Nicholas would
learn to walk at a "normal" age. I did not want others to see his
disability, but rather all his possibilities. I was afraid he would
become labeled with the term "disabled" and worried people might
typecast him in the role.
So, I had a time in mind when I
wanted Nicholas to begin walking. This time passed. Nicholas was
eager to learn at his pace and in his order. I came to appreciate
that about Nicholas. He was determined, but not impatient. I was
impatient, but not determined to see this little boy walk. I had
come to understand that these were Nicholas' steps, not mine.
Anyway, he was doing a very good job of learning what he needed to
know and moving forward.
After his second birthday, the time
came when he began to walk. It was time to celebrate his
accomplishment! We celebrated by going shopping on the Tuesday
before Easter. Brandie, Nicholas' six-year-old sister, was part of
the celebration too. Brandie knew just what to do in a shoe store.
While she tried on every pair of shoes anywhere near her size, I
tried shoes on Nicholas as he slept in the stroller. Before long, he
woke up. He showed he was ready to actively participate in the
celebration, as he walked right out of the store into the mall with
each new pair we tried!
Finally, we had a fit. A pair of
shoes that matched the criteria of a beginning walker's shoe and was
a cute shoe for a toddler to wear. Brandie had also chosen a pair of
shoes she liked. Both wore their new shoes as we left the
store.
Nicholas seemed to walk differently, more
deliberately in these new shoes. In the days that followed, Nicholas
would walk in his new shoes everywhere. He found mud puddles and
stomped with delight, as he watched the splashes he made. He took
his new shoes to the sandbox at his daycare and let his shoes fill
with sand.
There is no doubt Nicholas knows how to put these
new shoes to good use, and I am delighted. This was such a simple,
yet satisfying celebration. Nicholas is a teacher, and I learn from
him all the time. There will be struggles and painful times in this
life, but this was not one of those times. This was a time to
celebrate. A time to celebrate the accomplishment Nicholas had made.
His first steps are just the beginning of many steps to celebrate.
This story was shared at the Special Quest in California
by Terry Barrett, a Head Start parent.
