The Kindest Thing I Ever Did

The latest acquired glamour.

And the story continues-

My feet were extremely large for a child, in my day and time of being young. Funny, because now my feet do not seem that big. I wear an 8 1/2 but my daughter wears a 10. Anyway, back to the rheinstone shoes. My mother bought them for me, as I said previously. My feet were in that growing stage though, so actually I am sure, as an adult, she knew they would not fit me long. It has just hit me this very moment that is why I won this battle. You know the old saying, "Choose your battles, with your kids, carefully". I bet this was one of those choices. "Alright, alright, already. CeCe, stick to the story!" I tell myself.

Fifth grade, new rheinstone shoes, special 5th grade event coming up at school. I don't remember why the event was important. I just remember it was to be a very special night. We were to "dress up". There was a girl in my class that had very straight long hair, was skinny, like me-----well, I was thin, she was skinny. Funny how one always sees oneself a little differently than the next person with the same features. This girl was fragile in appearance, homely, yes,that is the perfect descriptive word, homely. She was homely and shy. She sat next to me. I remember asking her during one of those times it was "free time", in class, if she planned to attend the special event. I will never forget her telling me that she would not. She told me her family was poor and they could not afford to buy her anything that would be appropriate to wear. I was truthfully (I am trying to come up with the perfect word here, to describe my thoughts, dismayed might work here, yes, dismayed it is.) dismayed. You see, while my family was certainly not wealthy,I had never really wanted for anything that could not be had. I believe it was the first time being poor sank into my fifth grade mind. My heart ached for this girl. I think her name might have been Tammy. I will call her that anyway, for the remainder of this tale.

I could not stop thinking about Tammy. I decided I was going to ask my mom if we could help Tammy, somehow, so she could attend the event. I asked her if I could give Tammy my treasured rheinstone slippers and maybe one of my Sunday dresses. It tickles me now how happy my mom's heart must have been at this talk with me. She now had this precious little girl,( Me! smile) that was wanting to give away a prized posession to someone in need. Not only was her daughter kind, she was going to get rid of a possession the mother could not stand. How more perfect could the world of parenthood become??????? My mother, being the ever giving person she has always been, was thrilled. She planned with me how this would happen. Her advice was to talk to Tammy, in the bathroom,when noone else was around. I asked Tammy to meet me in the restroom at the beginning of recess. We each went into a stall of our own, next to one another. I am sure we waited for the flurry of other girls to clear. I took the sack of items and handed them under the stall. I explained to Tammy the shoes had become uncomfortable. My feet were growing so quickly I needed new shoes. They were so pretty and not worn much. I thought she might get some wear out of them and be able to attend the event. I don't remember what I told her about the dress. You see the dress was most likely not nearly as important to me as those beautiful rheinstone studded, black patten, shiny shoes. Tammy,tried them on inside the stall. She proudly informed me they fit. She stuffed everything back inside the bag. Upon exiting the stalls, she hugged me and whispered thank you. I whispered back,"You are welcome." And she was. She was welcomed to attend the special evening, in my beautiful shoes. When I saw her that night, with her parents, she was beaming. I must also admit, the shoes looked much more glamorous on her than they ever looked on me. My mother thought so as well! Until lately, I don't think I have ever purchased any more rheinstones. I simply decided lately I needed a little more glamour in my life. Maybe I also wanted to remember the kindest thing I ever did. Smile.