Being raised Baptist, we didn’t participate in Lent. We didn’t get our foreheads smudged with ash. 

We didn’t even do a pancake supper — not that I recall, anyway. I’m sure my grandfather would have been all over that if we did. 

But we did do Easter outfits, especially new shoes. 

I had a love relationship with those shoes. 

The love was the fact they were new shoes. They were special; I only got them right before Easter, and I couldn’t wear them after Labor Day. 

I waited all year for these few months and would plan my wardrobe around opportunities to wear them. 

The hate was the fact they were white. 

Part of the fashion logic behind my mostly black adult ensemble is due to the fact I can spill something on myself when there’s nothing to spill. 

White shoes were often scuffed and streaked before the Easter service was over. 

I don’t care how much white shoe polish Granny put on them, those black streaks were still there. 

The last pair of white Easter shoes I owned were over 20 years ago, and when I saw how they made me look like I had clown feet, I swore never again. 

But, never say never, especially when it comes to footwear.

Still trying to get my bearings and find re-entry into the world recently, I decided I may need to get some new clothes, especially since my work-from-home wardrobe of leggings may not always be appropriate. 

Even the most reclusive introvert needs some dressy leggings from time to time.

Since it was Spring, the idea of trying to find a pair of light-colored shoes even flitted through my head. 

Not necessarily white, but perhaps a pair of taupe or bone-colored shoes to maybe go with some more colorful clothes for the warmer months. 

So I began my mission to find some suitable shoes, not just for Easter, but for Spring.

I wandered into a store one Saturday morning, fully intending to find a few new things to wear and at least two new pairs of shoes. 

They had a few leftover winter booties and some thong sandals that left me shocked at the price for something so flimsy. Nothing struck my fancy. 

I told myself it may take time to find something I wanted. 

What was most surprising to me was that gone are the fashions that were the hallmarks of Easter. 

Sure, there were dresses. But there wasn’t the formality that I recall from when I was younger. 

Noticeably lacking were the hats. 

I remember a time or two I had to literally wear an Easter bonnet or hat to church. 

I didn’t care; I had my shoes. 

When hats became passe, Granny and Mama pulled my hair up on top of my head in a bun so tight it may have given me a facelift. 

I had hoped to see millinery come back into style, but maybe this isn’t the year for it. 

No hats. No shoes. And not a lot of dresses, which is fine, since I don’t wear dresses.

All I wanted was something to wear that would give me that same feeling of a fresh, new beginning. 

Something to herald a change of pace from the leggings I’ve worn over the last three years, and to maybe make me feel a bit more like a human instead of a growth on the sofa. 

Since I hate shopping for clothes, this became my mission. 

I was going to find something a bit different than my usual garb, dangit, and some new shoes for Spring. 

I looked online, trying to find something that I thought would work, and tapped “add to cart” on numerous occasions but never proceeded to checkout. 

Most of the things I had selected were very much like my regular togs and didn’t signal a fresh new fashion start. 

I felt defeated. 

I was going to have to come to terms that the nostalgia I had for new Easter shoes and new Spring accouterments were just distant, happy memories. 

Scouring the racks of another boutique, I sighed at how not only did the dresses lack the lace and puffiness — not really sad about the lack of crinolines — but I just couldn’t find something that suited a nearly 50-year-old woman who wanted to be stylish but also admittedly comfortable. 

Turning to the shoes, I expected the same thing I had found so far. Instead, I found a wall filled with mid-heeled shoes, some higher, platforms, and some wedges which would kill me. 

Apparently, the chunky heels of the 90’s are back in style; I am not sure how I feel about that yet. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could finally find something to give me a fresh fashion start this season. 

Something new, shiny, and lightly colored to reflect the palette of spring.

Finally, I found some shoes that were what I was looking for. I got two pairs; both in black.

Sudie Crouch is an award-winning humor columnist residing in the North Georgia Mountains among the bears, deer, and possibly Sasquatch. You can connect with her on Facebook at Mama Said: A Collection of Wit, Humor, and Deep-Fried Wisdom. Her recently published book, ‘Mama Said: A Collection of Wit, Wisdom, and Deep-Fried Humor’ is available in paperback and Kindle download on Amazon.