Let Me Have Mom's Shoes

By Sharon Holmes

There are dreams wrestling inside all of us, struggling for a place of fulfillment. Unfortunately great dreams often go unfulfilled without proper care and action.  Let Me Have Mom’s Shoes is about the genuine love, perseverance, determination, and tenacity needed to achieve your dreams and pursuits in life.  An avid dre

• Language: English
• Publisher: kingdom builders publications
• Release date: Jul 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9780692759868

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INTRODUCTION

Let Me Have Mom’s Shoes is about the perseverance, determination, and will power of a daughter’s love. A love that kept the dreams of her mom alive by slaying the giants of poverty, despair, and broken marriages that plagued her family for generations. Despite mom’s limited education, she was the wisest woman you could ever meet. She worked long hours, often past midnight, six days a week, as a cook in one of the main restaurants in the small town of Summerton, South Carolina. In my mother’s era, the town was known for one of the biggest civil rights cases in history, Brown verses The Board of Education. The struggle for equality is ever present, she would say. Mom, the matriarch of our family, had strong moral values and fought hard to ensure her six children graduated from high school, as well as college.

The author, Sharon, is the youngest of six siblings. She watched the sparkle fade from her mother’s eyes as she struggled to make a life for our family. Sharon often stayed awake till midnight to ensure her mom arrived home safely and to usher her in sitting down on her favorite chair from her aching, bloody feet. Night after night, Sharon would sit on the floor as she listened to her mom’s dreams. With tears in her eyes, Sharon could not ignore the signs of weariness she saw as her mom grew older.

Something arose on the inside of her that gave her the resilience not to quit until she broke the family curse. While Sharon dried her mother’s feet, her mother would say, I love you my dear, and do not stop following your dreams’ heartbeat. Sharon looked up at her mom and apologized for all the hurt and pain, empathically saying back to her, "Mom, let me have your shoes!" Her mom picked them up and handed them over to her daughter, who put those shoes on and tied them to her tiny, little feet. Even though she enjoyed flapping around in her mother’s tattered and worn down shoes, she was energized from within not to quit or relinquish the hold of her mother’s precious spoken dreams. A better life for her mom, for her family and for herself!

At first, Sharon wanted her mom’s shoes for all the wrong reasons, but it became clear later how those worn, tattered old shoes contained the very fabric that assured victory and success! They helped sustained her during the most difficult times in her life; times of hurt, pain, disappointment, discouragement, rejection, death of love ones, betrayal and failure. Sharon still has no regrets saying "Mom, Let Me Have Your Shoes."

MY FOUNDATION

Chapter One

Iwas born in the town of Summerton, South Carolina to Harrison Stukes Jr. and Carrie Stukes. I was the youngest of six children, seven really, counting my uncle Greg (who my mom raised as her own child). My family was the driving force behind my inspiration to accomplish my dreams.

My mother was the fourth oldest of nine girls and two brothers, but she reared her three youngest siblings after the death of her parents. My mother was my encourager, supporter, and the matriarch of our family. What a virtuous woman she was—very soft spoken, sweet, generous, and kind-hearted. Her major concern was always family and it meant everything to her. She was a god-fearing woman that raised her family on Christian principles. We were taught to always honor God first, be thankful for the blessings provided and always respect our elders. She also stressed the importance of lending a helping hand to others, for the laws of sowing and reaping were factual. She showed love to everyone she came across and was loved by many, especially her children. In our household, she was the disciplinarian. She truly believed God allowed us to live to make a difference in the world and to utilize our talents. She made us share everything— clothing, food, and money. And she did not allow division or jealousy among us. If one person had something and another one asked for it, she would split it six ways if necessary.

My father, a mortician in town took pride in his appearance and attire, which the ladies greatly admired. He was also well-known throughout the community for his barbeque and sauce. We often witnessed how he butchered hogs, made hash, sausages, hog-head cheese, chitterlings and crackling. It was great tasting food but not a pretty site to watch or smell!

While my older siblings were required to assist with the preparations of the hog, I would be sitting down on the steps daydreaming and staring off into space. Wake up, I would often hear, as one sister hit me on the head, Stop daydreaming so much; your mind is always wandering off someplace else. My mom would say to them, leave that child alone because it’s nothing wrong with dreaming. Her words of wisdom to all of us were: You are just as smart and pretty as anyone else; there is nothing you can’t do! Even though I was secure in my mother’s love, there were forces that hindered me from walking in my true destiny.

Let Me Have Mom’s Shoes was inspired by seeing my mother’s relentless faith and determination. This