The other day, my eighteen-year-old granddaughter and her younger sister stopped by my house. She wanted to try on her prom dress, which hangs in the guest room closet waiting for the special night.

She put on the black and gold dress, and could not take her eyes from the image in the mirror. JOY filled her young face when it dawned on her in less than a week, she would wear her new dress to the gala event. Her contagious excitement moved through the room and nothing could take my smile away.

She brought two pairs of heels to try on with the dress. I took one look at them and made my way to my walk-in closet. A month ago, I cleaned out the closet, including shoes I would never wear again. I drove the bags to the nearest charity and dropped them off—except for one pair of strappy high heels in black satin.

They happened to be my favorite, and the memories of the night I wore them lived on in my mind. I worked an entire year in cosmetic sales to reach a goal. When I waltzed on stage in the dress of my dreams to receive my prize, the strappy heels promenaded with me. Although I would never again place the shoes on my feet, I couldn’t bear to give them away. I put the box high on the shelf and forgot about them.

As I returned to the guest room, I heard the teen’s giggles. I stopped in the hallway and listened to the JOYous sound of my granddaughters, positive they had no clue how much happiness they brought by their visit. With a grin, I tapped on the door and entered the room, shoebox in hand.

I told her I had the perfect heels for her dress. Before I opened the box, I shared the story about the shoes and let her know she could use them. I took off the lid. My granddaughter’s eyes brightened, and she scooped the sandals from the box and slipped her feet into the straps.

A Cinderella type JOY filled the room. The stylish shoes peeked out from the slit in the skirt and complimented the dress. She chattered with her sister about a burgundy floral corsage and wrap she wanted to wear over the dress. They decided she needed jewelry with sparkles and sheen for her ears and neck. She talked about burgundy nail polish to match her corsage. For a brief moment, I believe the girls forgot I stood in the room. Their enthusiasm gave me such JOY. I waited for the right time to tell my granddaughter the shoes belonged to her now.

She hugged and thanked me, and I left the room while she changed back into her shorts, tee shirt, and flip-flops, leaving the dress and high heels behind until the prom.

Both of the girls embraced me as they walked out the door. The older granddaughter smiled JOYfully, gave me a tender hug, and thanked me with a sincerity that showed how much she appreciates me. She leaves for college in August, and when I need her close to my heart, I’ll reflect on the day my favorite shoes found a new home.

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Most of us experience blessings from other people now and then. I hope we give JOY, as well.

Human beings need to feel significant. We thrive when others appreciate us—and I don’t mean just when we give tangible gifts. We can be grateful when a loved one spends quality time with us, too.

I hope the memories my granddaughter makes on prom night bring her a lifetime of JOYful reminiscing. Perhaps the strappy high heels in black satin will promenade into another’s life one day in the future. Only time will tell.

May you be JOYfully blessed with quality time, gratitude, and appreciation from others and find ways to pass the blessings on to those around you.