My Mom's Tennis Shoes

So the other day I had planned on going for a walk with my dad for exercise and father-daughter bonding time but I had worn flip flops by mistake and live too far to run home for shoes. My only solution: borrowing my mom’s tennis shoes.

I have this problem where I take sayings and turn of phrase entirely too seriously (see Birds, Pots, and Stones) and because of this, I hesitate before lacing up my mom’s sketchers. Phrases like “walk a mile in their shoes” and “those are big shoes to fill” came to mind and I thought to myself, “if putting someone’s shoes on literally means you take on their characteristics and lifestyle like these sayings suggest, does that mean I will become my mother if I squeeze my big, fat toes into these?”

It is generally acknowledged that no one wants to become their mother. There may be aspects of your mother that you admire and would one day like to emulate yourself but actually becoming her would defeat the purpose of all that teenage rebellion and know-it-all attitude you took the time and effort to develop in order to gather a sense of self and individuality.

Regardless, I put on the shoes. I walked, not just a mile, but three miles with my dad around my old neighborhood. Not once did I use the phrase “that’s what you’re wearing?” or “because I said so.” I did not ask, “Hey, who’s that actor from that show? You know, the one with the hair?” I did not make a short story long or pull my jeans above my belly button.

My mother’s an excellent woman in many ways. Hey, she raised me so there’s definitely a stroke of brilliance in that 50-something head of hers. It’s just that, when I’m a mother, I would like the chance to develop my own annoying qualities. Break the mold even. Be the mom that turns my child’s embarrassing moments into songs that we sing while company’s over or the mom that goes to the grocery store in evening gowns because I think people will wonder if I’m famous. My goal is to also have my children never want to become me but love all the eccentricities just the same. We all have our own paths to follow, you know?

Aw mom, what would I do without your electric curlers and passive-aggressive back-handed compliments?