When it’s time to retire a pair of my son’s shoes I think about what we did together in those shoes.

Did we stomp enough puddles?
Take plenty of walks together holding hands and exploring?
Did I say “yes” to getting dirty instead of worrying about keeping his shoes nice?

It’s not a test or a standard I hold myself to. It’s a nice walk down memory lane. A reflection on how much he’s grown and how much we learned together. It’s easy to get frustrated at the never-ending replacement of clothes and shoes. This gives me something to look forward to.