The Ugly Shoes - A Children's Story

Once upon a time, well let's say exactly in 1959, a little girl was born. She was loved and cared for by her parents and seemed to be normal in every way.

Soon the baby became a toddler and it was time to walk, only she couldn't. Her feet turned in and her knees knocked together and she constantly fell.

This wee one began to see doctors who worked to stretch the tendons and strengthen the muscles to help her walk. She also wore oxford shoes with metal braces inside.

All was well until school started! At school, most of the other little girls had pretty, black Mary Jane shoes, cute go-go boots, Ked's sneakers, except the little girl. She still had large oxford shoes; ugly shoes! She wanted those pretty Mary Janes, but all the wanting and wishing didn't make that come true! Being different was hard.

Another student in class was different too. It was 1965, and, up until that year, the children with lighter skin were separated from the children with darker skin. This year was different. One little girl with beautiful dark skin and bunches of dark braids was allowed in the class. The two little girls became friends! Being different with someone else is much easier to bear!

As time went on, the shoes were no longer an important issue and children were allowed to go to school together regardless of differences. The two girls remained friends despite time and distance. Both grew up to follow different paths, one of motherhood and homemaking, the other of sports and career.

The moral of this story is that to be different is okay. We must learn to be brave, to rise above obstacles of the mind or imposed by others, and to follow our own path!

Be bold! Be brave! Be different!

Janice and I in first grade

Janice and I all grown up

Dr. Janice Hilliard of Hilliard
Creative Education & Development Solutions, LLC

Joy Cometh in the the Morning!

Last summer found me in quite a state of depression! I tried to keep busy and convince myself that being single had many benefits such as eating what you want when you want, cleaning house only if you wanted to, going where you wanted with whom you wanted, etc... Some of that helped with short-term relief, but there was a deep emptiness that always returned once the thought or activity passed. My family began to worry about me as they often found me crying for no reason. I felt like a burden to them.

I had tried to date once and was a bit frightened off by a pushy person who made me feel very uneasy. I prayed and felt confirmed to try again, only to be more wary in the choices I made when allowing a conversation. In the dating site I chose, I decided to only respond to men who made a bold statement about their faith and family and weren't pushy when contacted.

I ended up only meeting 3 men on the site. All three were polite and respectful, but only James caught my attention! We met for breakfast early one Saturday. As we talked, I could tell he had felt comfortable in his own skin. It was a pleasant first meeting. I was surprised when he talked to me later and suggested we meet for coffee the following evening! Our conversation was still pleasant and somewhat superficial, but I could see we had a lot in common.

A couple of weeks passed and we met for dinner. We continued simple conversations, but were slowly sharing more about our past and how we came to be dating at our ages. He and I were both widowed. I respected the fact that he had stayed faithful to his wife for over 40 years and had cared for her devotedly during her long illness and death. I felt he was someone whom could be counted on and would stay the course.

I invited him over where he met my daughter and son-in-law. We then went for ice cream. Our next date was bowling with his son and daughter-in-law. We both had made no commitment, but I was certainly enjoying his company!

I was scheduled to leave town for a week away with family. James seemed a bit sad I was leaving which caused me to think that maybe he was starting to care for me. We met for a quick lunch as I was getting ready to leave. We talked throughout the week and I decided that I wouldn't go out with anyone else until I had decided if James was starting to feel for me as I was for him. He asked to pick me up from the airport! He was there to send me off and pick me up! That was encouraging!

It wasn't long until we decided that we would see each other exclusively. I went on family events with him and he with me. Our families were concerned that we didn't rush things, but liked our "special friend"!

Well, to make a long story short, we soon decided to marry and did so at James' son's and daughter-in-law's house. It was a beautiful wedding filled with family and a few close friends.

We have been happy starting our new lives together. We have shared our sadness and created happy memories. We have helped each other heal from our losses and share the common desire to support the memories of our late spouses as we move forward with our lives.

Psalm 3:5 "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!" God has certainly brought joy to my life by allowing me to meet James!