Shoes Outgrown

I was cleaning out the coat closet today.  Time to put away all the cold weather shoes and coats and unearth the flip-flops and sandals.  I came across my youngest daughter's newest pair of sneakers and was appalled.  Apparently she has been using the tips of the shoes as her preferred method of braking on her bicycle.  Holes clear through the toes.  I saw my oldest's favorite pair of rainboots.  They were beyond any worth against precipitation - cracked and holes along the heel, across the top.  So much for handing those down to the youngest.

Then I came across a pair of Tanner's tennis shoes from last year.  They were in excellent condition and I was lamenting the fact that he has clearly outgrown them.  A second pair from later last year were in there too, and the rainboots he squeezed into one more year this last winter.  These were still in great shape, too.  When the reason why hit me, I found myself welling up with tears.

Little boys shouldn't outgrow their sneakers and rainboots - they should wear them out.  They should be out playing and being rough, tearing them up, causing cracks, making holes.  These shoes didn't get that kind of wear because Tanner didn't go out and play. 

Suddenly I wasn't so angry about the girls tearing up their shoes.  Instead, I found myself wishing that Tanner's shoes were equally destroyed.  Evidence of long hours of playing outside with friends.

So the girls' old shoes go in the garbage and Tanner's old shoes go to Goodwill.  Maybe the next little boy to wear them will destroy them properly the way Tanner should have but couldn't.  I truly hope so.