If the shoe fits, wear it.

Mood: impatiently waiting for Friday

Listening to: Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown - No Air

If there's one thing I can fill up my wardrobe with, it would be shoes. Please ask my friends around - I do have a thing for shoes. Why? Because no matter how fat we get, how old we get - shoes, will always be the same. Most of my clothes are pretty safe and plain, but I always play it up with shoes (and bags, and accessories - yes I'm big on those things!). I love my shoes, and my shoes love me. The feeling's mutual, you see :)

I watched Sex And The City reruns last night on Arena channel. The episode was when Carrie lost her beloved 'Sedaraby' Manolo Blahnik (pictured here) at a party where she was forced to take them off - and some girl with (obviously) excellent taste in shoes ran off with her beautiful new silver-sparkly shoes. Carrie was devastated and told the host of the party - however, instead of offering to pay Carrie back for the lost Manolo, she refused to do so and told her that "I don't need to pay for your extravagant lifestyle". The host used to be one of the Manolo devotees - until she got married and have kids.

However, Carrie spent a lot of money for this host. She bought her engagement presents, wedding presents, and of course baby shower gifts for child number one, two, and the latest - three. She spent a significant amount of money for this woman, and this woman refused to pay back $485 for her lost Manolo Blahnik. While Carrie respected and celebrated the host's life choices, the host refused to celebrate Carrie's.

Sometimes in life, we forgot to celebrate other people's life choices - or to just simply understand what they are going through. Of course, we all have our own opinions on things - and maybe some time, we are right. But you won't ever know and fully understand what they are going through unless you are in their shoes.

For example, I have this girl at work (to protect her privacy, let's call her Miss R) who has very wealthy parents and leads very extravagant lifestyle. Her shoes is Chanel, her bag is Balenciaga, her sunnies is Chloe, her necklaces and rings are Tiffany's, and so on and so forth. Sure, there's nothing wrong with being rich - and when you got it, flaunt it - which is very humanly for everyone. It's our pride, and God forgives, sometimes we can't help it.

Then one day, I was out for a walk at lunch time with her, and my other colleagues. We went to Target, and I saw this really cute open toe black patent sling-back shoes which was on sale for $20. I was so excited, and when I tried it on, it did look good! But as I expressed my excitement and my intention on buying it, Miss R said to me "Annie, what are you doing buying cheap shoes???!!!" with a disgusted look on her face. I was speechless, but then my other colleague, Alison, said "buying cheap stuff is fun, and when you get tired of them or they wore out, you could just chuck them in the bin without feeling guilty." and Miss R was laughing.

That's not the first time she said it. She hurts many people in this matter, when she expressed her 'objection' of the 'cheap stuff' that we are wearing. Well, too bad so sad - not all of us has rich parents to begin with, and not all of us still got monthly allowances from our parents (and they still pay for our rent/mortgages). Sure, life will be beautiful if all of us could have those - but unfortunately not.

People lead different lives - therefore, people have different situations. We need to stop expecting (and sometimes, forcing) people to come up to our standard. People are born unique - different capabilities, different calling in their lives, different talents, different point of view of things, different desires, different dreams/goals. The best thing we need to do as a friend is understanding them - because sometimes they just need to be understood and listened to without us strongly expressing our opinions.

Sure, we will always pray for them and support them in prayer, but it's time for us to start wearing their shoes and ponder how does it feel like walking in them.

Of course, life is a perpetual learning process. That's why it needs time for us to learn this, but the point, my friends, is that we are learning.

xoxo

If the shoe fits, wear it.