Cinderella's Shoes

I had a moment of deja'vu yesterday. When I was a girl I used to love to go to my Grandmothers house, not necessarily to visit her but to visit her accessories. She wore "high heels" with matching handbags. I coveted her jewelry and make-up. Unlike my Mom who wore cherry chapstick, my Grandmother wore electric red lipstick. She was exotic and I was hypnotized by the lure of their shine and sparkle. The arch of the shoe, the silky smoothness of the leather, the eye catching twinkle of the earrings. When we would visit Grandma would let me wear her shoes, carry her handbags, and even wear a necklace or two around her house.

I was in awe of how the right shoes, handbag, and jewelry could transform a plain black suit into a work of art. Almost 30 years later I am still entranced by the way the perfect pair of stilettos can transform a wall flower into a femme fatale. How the subtle flash of a small diamond earring can catch the eye of a stranger, and the glossy shine of lip balm can seduce the most innocent onlooker.

Yesterday my step-daughter, Sweet Pea, came into the kitchen in a pair of my red shoes. She said, "Look Molly. Aren't they beautiful?" The make me look beautiful. My eldest step-daughter, BB, is learning to coordinate her accessories with her outfits and wore a black and white top with color gradation, black shoes, with jeans and carried a black patent coach clutch. She was striking in her outfit. My son made sure he pointed out his pants and his shirt matched, "Because you have to match Mommy!" and my youngest step-daughter, Lovely, was so proud of her ability to coordinate her shoes with her outfit.

It is important to be proud of who you are an confident in your person. Each interaction with my children this past weekend was a flashback to my childhood. Not only do we become our parents but our children become us.