Prof. Jessica Penner | OL02 | Spring 2021

Alexsis Arvelo, Memoir

For as long as I can remember my mom has always found a way to make birthdays and holidays very memorable, whether it be with gifts or just flowers and balloons. For about eight years now my mom has bought me a new pair of Uggs for Christmas and it has become a tradition. It’s usually not a surprise because she has gotten me a new pair every year but also because when it’s that time of year she asks me what color I would like them in. This tradition is meaningful to me because I am thankful to be able to receive gifts, especially from my mom. I’m grateful that I have a collection of boots that remind me of her that go all the way back to middle school.

I usually ask for one of two different styles which are the regular short boots or the short ones with three bows on the back. My family celebrates on Christmas eve and we always open gifts later on at midnight. When I’m opening my gifts I’m usually surrounded by my immediate family and my mom is always taking pictures. My boots gained meaning over time because they always felt like a genuine gift that came from love and thought. Although my mom has gotten me a new pair for quite some time now, I didn’t always ask for them. I think that’s why they are so important to me, because even though I would ask for other things as well, she would still get them for me. Her doing that was special because it showed she was still thinking of me and wanted to keep this little tradition going.

The boots are always soft and very clean when I open the box and they always smell brand new. Inside the box there is a little note my mom slips inside where she tells me she loves me. The best reward of owning these boots is knowing that my mom got them for me because whenever I wear them I think of her. If I could give them to someone else I would give them to my daughter in the future because I think it would be a heartwarming feeling to give my child something that my own mother got for me. Aside from possibly giving them to my own daughter in the future, I don’t think I would sell them because I enjoy having a variety of colors to choose from because I’m able to pair them with several different outfits. If I had to pick one pair of boots as my favorite I would choose the light pink pair because I think they’re really cute. I had wanted that pair for a long time but whenever I tried to find them online I never could. When I opened those a couple years ago I was surprised my mom was able to find them and that she remembered I wanted that pair after so long.

1 Comment

  1. Will

    The value those boots must have is unlike any other I’d imagine. The feeling of wearing them knowing they’re from a loving mother is a lovely feeling. I can relate to that on many levels. It was a nice writing piece to read, thanks for sharing!

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