Red shoes

So I'm starting a new blog series: posts about how certain things remind me of certain friends; I think it'll be a fun way to ponder the impression different people have left on my life, even in small ways. So today...red shoes and Lani Dalzell.

I have a pair of red leather shoes, I think you'd call them mules (they have no back, but a very flat sole so they're not really clogs). They have a tiny bow on the toe, which is rounded. They make my feet look small, they're really comfortable, and every time I wear them I think of Lani Dalzell. Why? you might ask. On a basic level, I think it's because Lani had a pair of really fabulous red loafers; she was one of the first people i'd ever met who wore a pair of red shoes on a regular basis and looked great and natural in them. But on a deeper level, it's also because red shoes remind me of Lani's personality -- her creative and free spirit, her love of life, her sense of adventure, her love, her warmth and her hospitible and welcoming nature. When Jeremy and I first moved to Houston and began attending church at the Tomball church of Christ, we decided to attend Dan and Lani's small group Bible Study (on the recomendation of Curt and Rachel Grubb). We both immediately felt comfortable and welcomed. For me, it was like being at home; like Lani was my big sister and Jeremy and I were just part of the family. That feeling and relationship continued for the next three years. It filled up a piece of my heart, and I miss the Dalzell's a lot.

And that's what I think about every time I wear my red shoes.