Ode to a pair socks

Socks are the only creative dressing outlet I have, being in a profession where I have to wear a uniform. Currently, I can wear only black. Before that it was khaki, and prior to that it was white. What's a gal of high aesthetic and adventuresome sensibilities to do?! And so I rely on socks to add spice to my attire.

My friends have come to think of me when they see quirky foot garb. And so the Suesocks came to be - a birthday present for my feet. Spheres of purple and periwinkle and lavender and black spheres sitting in squares, my favorite colors in a geometric, bold pattern! They just made me happy!

And they became special - emblematic of a unique, brief time when 3 friends all lived within a fairly short geographical distance of each other. It was a moment of life holding shared Sunday dinners, the Boston Globe crossword puzzle over coffee, beach walks, evenings of jazz and wine, endless conversation under starlit skies, going to movies and walking downtown for Saturday breakfast.

All those memories became woven into the purple and grey and black threads of those socks, especially after I moved half way across the country. The suesocks were special, the ones I pulled out when I needed a little extra 'oomph' to propel me through a day, or when I was particularly missing the ocean or my girlfriends and the joy of those days and our proximity to each other.

I've worn them for a long time. My mother noticed a toe bursting through its purple polka dotted confines at Thanksgiving, called me by name in that certain tone of voice and admonished me to relegate the suesocks to the trash immediately. I gazed down at the somewhat chilly, yet stylishly clad toe and shuddered at the realization that yes, the suesocks were indeed on their last leg.Even then I couldn't let go of them. Although thread bare, they still warmed my heart and soul with all the memories and her-story they contained.

So, for several months I have babied them along, and soaked up the memories woven within them, knowing that imminently they really were going to have to go in the trash. So, when I slid them on last week and not one but 3 toes escaped, and there was a long run across the sole of my foot, the inevitable had arrived. Ironically, along with the New Year. Hmmm, the end of an era. And so, I hold the memories closely within me, knowing what a special time they came from, and sadly drop them in the waste basket.

There's now an empty space in the sock drawer. Space for a new pair; room in my life everyday for creating new memories. The old joys and rememberings never wear out, they just become specialer. And, I'm learning to knit so that I can make my own funky foot wear. It's a whole NEW universe of socks. Soon, I'll be giving socks away, knit by me, for the wearer to fill them with happy toes and good memories that will warm heart and soul! Purple circles for Sue, pink striped ones for Jordan, musical notes for Mary...