Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: BACK TO BASICS (02/16/17)
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TITLE: Heart Shaped Rebellion | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jennifer Liang
02/23/17 -
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Fifteen-year-old Abby tentatively took the proffered box from her mother’s hands. “But . . . how?” she asked, confused.
“She and I went shopping last summer. She knew they were perfect for you. But, she did say don’t touch them with your . . . what’s it called? You know, the thing you use for embellishing all your things.”
“My Bedazzler.”
“Yes. Your Bedazzler. She knew you well. So, are you going to open it?”
Abby patiently pulled apart every ribbon and detached every piece of tape. She did not want to miss a thing from her Daisy. Oh, how much she missed her.
“These would look perfect for church on Sunday,” she finally choked out with a forced smile. She had expected much more. The silver shoes looked so plain.
“Do they fit?”
“Perfectly.”
Ten minutes later Abby and her cousin Kara were discussing the day’s events. Abby plopped down on her bed and raised one shoe to the ceiling. Studying it intensely she voiced her disappointment.
“You know Kara, I just don’t understand. I love my Bedazzler and always have. Grandma Daisy knew nothing escapes it. Why would she tell me I can’t use it? The shoes need upgrading. I just can’t be walking around in something so plain.”
Kara listened and paused for a moment before responding. “I’m sure she had her reasons, Abby. Didn’t you tell me before that she thought you always went a little overboard? Why don’t you honor her wishes this time?”
Kara took the remaining shoe from the box and studied it. “They are beautiful shoes.”
“I can’t do that Kara. I’m sure she’d understand.”
Down came the tool and the jewels. Yes, the red hearts would do nicely.
“See the red hearts. Wouldn’t it look nice on the silver? Hearts were her favorite. I remember I gave her a Valentine’s Day card one year with these hearts. We found it while going through her things. Surely she’d approve. I mean, what could it hurt? Hearts in memory of my grandmother. Yea, that’s what I’ll do. And it looks so pretty too.”
“Your babbling doesn’t have to convince me, Abby. I’m not the one whose last wishes you’re going against.”
“Well, ok then. Thanks for the talk. Kar ra.” Abby haphazardly applied the hearts and stormed off in a huff and right outside her bedroom door ran into her mother.
“Honey. Where you off to in such a hurry? I just came to give you this. I found it while cleaning up after the gifts.”
“What is it?” Abby was praying that her mother didn’t notice the tears threatening to spill out at any moment.
“The card your grandma wrote. Maybe it tells why she wants you to skip the adornments.”
“Thanks, but I’m not in the mood for reading it right now.”
“Ok. But do it soon. Before you add to the perfectly good shoes.”
If her mother only knew.
Alone in her room Abby was lost in thought about Christmas when she decided to open the letter. The shoes were on the bed with the still out Bedazzler and jewels scattered on the floor. She had not even applied the hearts evenly! How was she to wear them proudly when it looked like a random job had been done? Why did she not listen?
Tears flowed freely as she read the simple but profound words. Beautiful, loved, special, Daisy. The same words she’d heard a zillion times starting from her earliest memories with the only grandparent she knew. Only now did she realize the intention of her grandmother’s heart. Daisy was trying to tell her that she didn’t need embellishments to be beautiful, that she was loved just as she was. For forever, she had thought she needed more to be accepted as someone of value. Grandma Daisy wanted the plain silver shoes to be worn proudly, just as they were, because they were gorgeous in their own right. Just like her.
The wise woman’s final lesson was the most basic but most valuable. Abby is beautiful, loved, and special. Nothing could change that. No amount of jewels would ever add value.
Abby tore off the hearts and from that day on wore those shoes proudly, even with the visible marks of her rebellion. But most importantly, she retired her Bedazzler. Plain and simple became her motto. She was loved!
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