They Blessed My Boots Off

Wednesday was a day full of blessings... silly, mostly materialistic blessings, but blessings nonetheless.  And one in particular that saw me fall asleep with a smile on my face. 

And to fully explain it, I'm not sure where to start.  Do I start the moment the love affair began?  Do I start with me gleefully ripping off my boots?  Or maybe I will begin with the day I decided to cyberstalk them. 

It had been over six months since I first laid eyes and hands on them... since I had fallen in love at the outlet mall.  But I had walked away, leaving my dream boots on the shelf...  I convinced myself that it was infatuation and that in a day or two I would forget the buckles and pockets, that I could find a different, less expensive pair.  A pair that would "do". 

But I didn't.  I couldn't get them out of my mind.  The only thing that stopped me from forsaking all other boots and racing to the cash register was the price tag.  It made the committment too daunting. Too scary.  So I waited.  I filled my time with other things... aimlessly filling my Amazon cart and Ebay watch list with shoes that I would never buy.  Shoes that I would let others have.  It wasn't the same anymore.  When I thought about getting new shoes for Rock the Red Pump... I couldn't get that distressed black leather out of my mind.  It distressed me...

Until the day I decided to check up on them.  Maybe someone who didn't know what they were letting go would be selling them on Ebay or Amazon... no luck.  Everyone who had left a review on Nine West said they were committed for life... that these were their go to boots, the ones they wanted their feet in every day.  Oh, how I wanted my feet in those boots too... so I held my breath and checked Nine West... and there they were, marked down to 50% off!  My heart leapt in my chest!  I was that much closer to my beloved boots.... oh, if I could only convince my husband to give me the love of my life.  Would he feel comfortable?  All I could do was ask. 

Of course.  He says yes to anything.  He didn't even flinch.  But then my conscience kicked in.  I still couldn't justify the half off price tag.  It wasn't in my thrift-shopping, clearance rack scouring bones to splurge like that.  I had held out this long.  Sure the sun wasn't as bright and the flowers didn't smell as good, but I could make it through... so I did.  But not without my friends and family and coworkers hearing me sigh and blubber about my lost love. 

Anytime the subject of shoes or buckles or leather came up, I would sigh and reminisce about the moment we had touched.  About the spark I had felt.  And someone would inevitably say, "Just get the *&;#$ boots."  Then my shoulders would slump, and I would quietly whimper about how they still cost too much for me to justify. 

So Wednesday... I got to work late.  I had a massage that had been scheduled and cancelled, so I took the time and brought my sister coffee and conversation.  I walked into work feeling relaxed and cute in my Diba leather boots, until one of my coworkers walked in and said, "We really need to talk to you."  In my crisis-ridden job, I automatically thought the worst and rushed down the hall to her office.  In her office were two other people and as I leaned against the cabinet, someone else rushed in and clicked the door shut.  My eyes widened and I looked around. 'What is going on?' I asked.

"Well, first..." the one who started it all drawls, "I really want to show you my new boots..."

My eyes narrowed as I saw what looked like a Nine West box, but I shook it off and looked at the boots she was holding.

"Buuuut, they're the wrong size for me.  They are a 7 and a 1/2... I guess... I'll have to give them to someone who wears that size..."  As she looked up at me, I am sure my jaw dropped to the floor.  I had just realized what was going on. 

'Are you serious?' I screeched, as my arms jutted out to grab them... 'Can I just hug them?'  And I did.  And then I asked if I could hug them all.  And I did.  And then I ripped my boots off and slipped my feet inside. 

They all laughed and told me how she had found them on Ebay at a good price and they just split the price.  What was too expensive for me was a small amount when divided amongst them.  They wanted to bless me and give me something that showed they really did think I was a good boss after all.  Then they all started asking for favors. Haha... not really. 

All day long I beamed.  My dream boots were a reality.  But mostly, I think I smiled because of how much they blessed me that day.  Blessed me by giving me a gift they knew I wanted as a way to show me how much they cared.  I never expected it, and I certainly wonder if I really deserved it.  But I am still beaming now, because they thought I did.  I'm not certain I can ever thank them enough.  Maybe the only way they'll ever know how grateful I am will be if I wear these boots every week, day in and day out....

And - another cool thing about the Nine West Runway Relief boots are that a percentage of the sales goes to benefit Breast Cancer Research... it even says on the box.