A Christmas Story
Humor.
Humor can be as
essential as love in holding together a family. Humor has always
been an important element of our family. One example of that, is
the story of the Christmas Shoe.
It began in 1973,
at the wedding of Lynn Johnson and Steve Galloway. Lynn Johnson’s
maternal grandmother, Hilda Glandon Meredith, had a dear friend named
Dorothy Burke, who gave Lynn a very unusual wedding gift. It was a
shoe. A very large high heeled shoe, painted blue (Lynn’s bridal color)
and decorated from heel to toe in sparkling costume gem stones and
glitter.
Mrs. Burke had a
good heart, and there was no doubt she had exerted considerable effort
in preparing this thoughtful….if rather unappreciated gift. Lynn’s
younger sister, Bobbi, found considerable humor in the gift, and
delighted in teasing her sister. Just where did Lynn plan to
display this interesting ornament?
When Bobbi was
married three years later, Lynn slyly re-gifted the shoe to her sister,
as a bridal shower present. What neither girl knew at the time,
was that Mrs. Burke had prepared another shoe (this one lavender,
Bobbi’s bridal color) for the new bride. So instead of one shoe,
Bobbi had a pair…..one blue, one lavender.
After another three
years went by, Lynn and Steve moved into their new home, and for a house
warming gift…..yes that’s right….Bobbi presented them with a lovely pair
of shoes. One blue, one lavender.
Well, Steve was not
particularly thrilled with the housewarming gift. And
mysteriously, the shoes disappeared. Both Bobbi and Lynn
were a little sad. They not only enjoyed the good natured
re-gifting….but felt a little guilty for Mrs. Burke, who had quite
seriously, spent considerable time in crafting the ornate shoes.
The years
flew by, as years do, and occasionally the family discussed the pair of
bridal shoes, and regretted their “mysterious” disappearance.
Almost twenty years
after the first shoe appeared, Bobbi Johnson Holmes decided it was time
to re-initiate the tradition of the re-gifted shoe. This time, in
the guise of a Christmas Shoe. Bobbi purchased a pair of
large, gold, high heel shoes, and with her daughter, Elizabeth, began
decorating one shoe. With glue gun in hand, they added fake
pearls, and green and red beads. After it was properly garish, they
named it the Christmas Shoe…the gift with sole.
And the old tradition, was reinvented. Over the next 15 years the
shoe bounced between the Holmes and Galloway households. It was always
important to slip the shoe to the other family un-expectantly…..which
meant that some years the shoe was not re-gifted, but waited quietly for
the right time to be “sprung” on the other family.
In 2006 Bobbi's
son, Scott, announced his engagement to his beautiful and sweet
girlfriend, SeAnne. A new generation, starting their lives.
Who better to give the Christmas shoe! And so, with the blessings
of Lynn Johnson Galloway and Bobbi Johnson Holmes, the Christmas
Shoe passed in 2006 to Scott and SeAnne. And may they someday
re-gift it to an unsuspecting Galloway or Holmes family member!
Merry Christmas!