Thinking Out Loud
If The Slipper Fits - Wear It

June 3, 2012
By: Diane Szczepanski

"Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat. In a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?" ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Is there anything better than encasing cold, tired feet in well-worn, fuzzy slippers?

Mine are brown and furry and admittedly quite ugly.

I've had them for several years now and I have to say, they're starting to show their age. But then again, so am I, so we are a well-matched duo.

I think of all the things that truly give me the creature comforts in life and it usually boils down to three things.

Fur, fleece and flannel.

No one ever lounged in taffeta and lace and felt cozy doing it. Or pulled on a scratchy wool sweater and nestled on the couch to unwind with a good book.

Our basic necessities in life are softness, warmth and snuggle ability.

My fuzzy brown slippers have seen me thru bouts of flu. Nasty head colds. Winter's deep freeze temperatures.

They've been my mainstay for taking the garbage out, when it's just too much effort to put on real shoes. My poor neighbors have watched me make the trek out to the road many times, wearing those ghastly things.

The thing with comfy slippers is, that as soon as our feet slide into their welcoming softness, it means we've left the world of ringing phones at desks, traffic jams and long lines at grocery stores.

Bottom line? My feet cocooned in my ugly brown friends means, I'm HOME.

The place I can relax, shed my workday cares and enjoy the peace and quiet, in the welcoming arms of the space I call mine. In today's hectic world, it's especially important to find refuge in the things that have the ability to make us feel warm and fuzzy.

Therefore, hideous or not, my slippers will always hold a soft spot in my heart.

Now, if only like Oliver, I had the fireside to warm them by, life would be perfect.