Why I Do What I Do...

It touches me when I hear from a customer that they're so sad their little one has outgrown their shoes or boots. I love knowing these little things that I make with my hand have become so a part of their life and memories, knowing they will be set aside, treasured, and maybe even passed down. Knowing that one glance at those little shoes will call to mind so many memories wrapped up with tiny feet learning to walk, running about and making merry.

But, never have I been so glad to have made a pair of shoes, as I am to have made these Christmas shoes for my Grandma. 

My Grandma is over 90, and has been a feisty go-getter for every one of her years. In mid-December she had a fall, ended up in ICU and has been in the nursing home these last couple of months. Her slippers, my mom tells me, have been a bright spot to her. Cheerful, comfortable, easy to get on and off. You've no idea how that warms my heart. THAT is why I do what I do. Not just to make pretty things. But, to extend love, from my hands to their feet, from giver to receiver of the shoes, from a mother to her daughter, from a granddaughter to a grandmother.

I just got a call from my dad telling me that the doctors do not expect Grandma to last out the week. My heart is breaking. I will miss her so terribly. Thankfully, I have hope that we will see each other again. I love you, Grandma. God speed and tell Grandpa we love and miss him still.