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.