My daughter's feet are now officially bigger than mine. When last year I would be the one to "make pamana" (hand down) to her my shoes as I don't often use them or they are "more bagay" (more appropriate) for her age, like sneakers and sandals; now, I'm the one she hands-down her shoes to!
She now a size 8 (US 38, UK 6) while I remain a size 6 (US 36, UK 4). Before getting pregnant I was a size 5, 5 & 1/2 and I've always found sizes for me in the children's section. Not that I was bothered, I found kids shoes were cuter, and kinder to my feet than adults' shoes. I was never a fan of high-heels, Amber calls them torture tools, and feel more comfortable with flats or half-inch to 1-inch pumps. Sensible shoes, my grandmother called them.
One of my favourite things are shoes. When I was little, I remember my mom was heading for groceries at the nearby supermarket and asked me what I wanted as 'pasalubong' (gift) and I promptly replied, "Shoes!" When other kids would be happy with chocolates or toys, I was happiest with a brand new shoe. I totally understood former First Lady Imelda Marcos and her 3,000+ collection of shoes. Or how Rachel Greene, Jennifer Aniston's character in F.R.I.E.N.D.S set out to find a job and came back with a pair of boots on sale! LOL! I know the feeling when another Jennifer, Lopez this time, put her own life in danger as she tried to save her shoe from a runaway garbage bin in the movie, The Wedding Planner.
One of my guilty pleasures would be shoe-window-shopping. Going to shoe stores, trying shoes on, checking out the craftsmanship, the interiors, the design and how it would feel in my own small feet. I think my daughter had caught on my shoe madness. She joins me in my shoe window shopping digs and I can say she had good sense in choosing sensible shoes. The no-nonsense Linco blood is well and truly alive in her, my grandmother couldn't be more proud!
Last weekend, we cleaned our shoe rack and got rid of old shoes, and shoes that never even got worn. There was even a struggle between me and my husband about a fave flats that he thinks too grotty to keep! But it's a favourite! Oh yes, I can be shoe-sentimental. I can't help it.
Amber exclaims, "Mom, I've got more shoe than space in my shoe rack!" As we each have our own racks to organise, weed-out and clean occasionally. What a problem! I recall children in the Philippines going to school either in really old, hand-me-down flip-flops or barefoot and I tell her so. She thinks a bit, pondering on what I've said and her next words amazed me.
She said, "Well let's set aside the ones that are still clean and new-looking and donate them to poor children." My heart welled with pride and love for my little big girl! She is truly so much better than me in so many ways. At 10 years old, I would have kept all my shoes and not even think about sharing them to anyone, even to the poorest. She has done the same for her clothes too!
My Little Big Girl does not only have big feet, she also has a big heart.
