Chacos - A Symbol of My Life

A couple weeks ago while with my Grandparents, my favorite pair of shoes broke. Grandma accidentally stepped on the heal of my foot and one of the back straps on my dearly loved Chacos snapped off! Besides them just being my favorite pair of shoes to walk in ever, their snapping meant so much more to me.

It took all I had within me to keep from crying right there and then. The symbolism was just too much bare. They were my hiking camp shoes. They were one of my last ties to my life when I worked at the camp I loved with all my dearest friends doing what I loved and what I knew I was good at.

It's almost been a year since I was laid off from the camp because of its financial troubles and had to move back home, eight hours away from all my dearest friends, mentors, dance studio, and church. And I am still trying to heal from the pain of that rending.

When my Chaco sandal was ripped and unusable, the symbolism of that rending and ending of one of the happiest times of my life was almost too much to keep inside.

But if that was a symbol, then what happened because of that rending and tearing I hope will become symbolic as well! Because Chacos are guaranteed for life except for normal wear and tear, I mailed my shoes in (which my grandma paid for the shipping) in the hopes that they would fix them. The strap that needed mending would cost $20 the website said, but while that one strap definitely needed it, the other three were starting to fray as well and could really used help too, which could cost up to $80 in all. While I was waiting to hear from them, my mom found out and went to see if she could find a new pair on sale for me at the store. The ones I had wanted in the first place (the complete black with two thin straps instead of one fat one) that hadn't been on sale when I bought my red ones were low and behold on sale! So she bought them for me as a gift and sent them the next day. Soon after I got another package in the mail. They had sent my old shoes back to me with all four back straps completely replaced and new and had charged me nothing! They even paid the return shipping.

So now I have my old sandals back and repaired better than they were and a new pair of the ones I really wanted in the first place and I didn't have to pay a thing! What a blessing!

Please God let this be symbolic of my near future! And thank you so much for your wonderful providence!