The Red Shoes

As she watched me get ready for a black-tie formal wedding wearing my elegant long blue gown, fancy hairdo and jewelry, and.... bright pink-red Keds sneakers, the little flower girl, full of wonder, awe, jealousy, admiration, and an expression that gave a sense that her mind had just been blown by possibility, to her mom: "Mommy!! Is she going to wear THOSE SHOES!!???"

Her mom: "No, you know how mommy always puts on my shoes at the last second if I'm dressing up? Just like that. Dress-up shoes hurt, so she'll slip her shoes on at the last second when she has to."
Me: "I would wear them if I could! But they wouldn't let me." (and then showing her the 4-inch heeled black feet-killers I would be wearing)

And the little girl looked absolutely crushed, like that magical world of possibility she had just discovered where you could wear red sneakers with a gown had just been stolen away from her. It was as if learning that women are expected to wear elegant painful shoes rather than fun comfy ones was as bad as being told Santa didn't exist.... Women definitely did not invent heels. And I hope that little girl always wears her pink sneakers wherever she wants, with whatever she wants, no matter what anyone tells her.