Two Feet Of Memories

Long time readers know that I have rarely, if ever, promoted a product in this blog. In fact, I have only done it one time in over three years, despite many different brands reaching out.

It’s not that I don’t like promotions or free things. It’s that I want the products I mention to be things that readers will want and, even more importantly, things I can adequately explain the importance of. I like stories and meaning. In the absence of meaning, I’d rather not mention it at all.

So when DivvyUp Socks wrote to be a few months back, I was intrigued, but not ready to share their product. It was a shame too because their custom socks looked pretty cool and, I knew they would be even cooler with my face on them. I went to the site a few times and even showed my daughter Olivia, who eagerly told me to get them. Still, it seemed like free stuff for the sake of free stuff, no matter how great they were.

I know most people wouldn’t care about that and maybe I shouldn’t either, but I do.  I try to keep my blog more about the story than an attempt to get swag or sponsorships. Without a reason behind its mention, I felt like an infomercial. So, I saved the link and socked it all for another day.

Then, in the midst of the quarantine, one of our two cats, Buddy, died at fifteen years old. It was a heartbreaking moment, if not completely unexpected. As I wrote, he had been slowly showing his age through the years and his passing left a hole in all of our hearts, especially Olivia.

Buddy was her main cat. He needed the most love and she was the one most willing to give it. Even when he could barely move anymore, he still found ways to jump onto her bed at night. The two of them were like a nightly Hallmark card. I wanted her to deal with his death in a way that was positive and know that she could keep his memory alive without sadness. It was less than a day after he was gone that it suddenly struck me.

I’m totally putting his face on a pair of socks.

The meaning had arrived. The narrative was here. My daughter, having dealt minimally with grief, needed to learn an important lesson. Losing a loved one doesn’t mean you erase them from your life. Buddy had been her beloved pet when he was here and, in death, he should never be forgotten. It’s a lesson that I have learned through the years and now, she had to as well.

I have lost friends and family at a pretty steady rate since the age of six. The one common factor they all have is that they all pop into my mental newsfeed throughout the years; some more than others. Whether it’s a movie your grandpa showed you, some joke you remember from a teacher who died, or a night out with a friend who faded and burned way too soon, anyone who touches your life burrows into your brain and stays there. Trying to forget they exist doesn’t help. In fact, it just eats you up inside.

When the Buddy socks arrived, I was more than happy with the quality. The second I opened them up and saw his cute little feline face staring back at me, I was content with my decisions. I want to say I knew Olivia would like them, but it would be more appropriate to say I hoped she would.

I was nervous bringing them into her room. Her reaction could go either way. I was concerned that I was setting myself up for a frown and possibly some tears.

It was neither. Instead, she smiled bigger than she ever has before. It was a different smile too, one that came from a deeper place. There was a more mature and appreciative expression than I had ever seen on her face. She immediately pulled them onto her feet and sat there grinning. Speechless.

When I asked if she liked them, she told me she loved them and gave me a huge hug. For the next two days, those socks stayed on her locked-down feet. I would sometimes see her looking down at them and remark, “Aw, Buddy.” It was one of the best and most timely things I ever gave her.

She wasn’t the only one who liked them either. Our other cat, Tipsy, who had been by Buddy’s side from the days they were kittens until his final moments, would come over and rub her face against them. I have never seen a pair of socks evoke so much emotion in my life, across many different species.

There are tons of reasons to buy custom socks and this is just one of them, but for us, it’s the most important one. You can check them out yourself and maybe pick up a pair for someone you love. DivvyUp Socks helped me reinforce an important part of life to the girl I love more than anything and kept the memory of one of our most cherished family members alive. For that, I’ll always be grateful.
 

Get your own custom pair here: DivvyUpSocks.com