Sneakers with a Hole
In a well-known university, there was a student named Tere. She was cheerful, hardworking, and always willing to help her classmates. But there was one thing everyone noticed about her—her old pair of rubber shoes. The shoes had a hole in the front, and no matter the weather, Tere wore them every day.
One afternoon, as Tere and her friend Vilma walked to class, Vilma looked down at Tere’s shoes and sighed. “Tere, why don’t you buy a new pair? Those look like they’re falling apart.”
Tere smiled. “They still work, Vilma. As long as they take me where I need to go, they’re good enough.”
Vilma shook her head. “But don’t they hurt your feet?”
“A little,” Tere admitted, wiggling her toes through the hole. “But I’ve gotten used to it.”
Vilma frowned but didn’t say more. She knew Tere wasn’t rich, but she also knew her friend never complained. Tere always found a way to be happy, no matter what. Even if her shoes were old and torn, her smile was always fresh, and her energy was boundless.
Over the next few years, Tere’s life became busier. She spent countless hours in the library, studying for exams, preparing presentations, and helping classmates who struggled with their work. While Vilma often struggled with the workload, Tere seemed to glide through it all with grace and a positive attitude.
But Vilma couldn’t help but notice that Tere’s shoes never changed. No matter how much time passed, no matter how many new shoes other students wore, Tere’s sneakers with the hole in them were always there. She often wondered why her friend didn't just buy a new pair, especially since Tere worked so hard and had done well in school.
One afternoon, while they were walking to class, Vilma couldn’t hold back any longer. “Tere, don’t you ever get tired of wearing those shoes?”
Tere looked down at her sneakers and shrugged. “Not really. They’ve carried me through a lot of things already. I’m not in a rush to replace them.”
Vilma raised an eyebrow. “You’ve had those shoes for years. They look like they’ve seen better days.”
Tere chuckled. “Maybe, but I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for progress. And these shoes have served me well.”
Vilma was quiet for a moment. “I guess you’re right. Maybe I’m just caught up in the idea of having new things all the time. But it’s not about the shoes, is it?”
“No, it’s about the journey,” Tere replied softly, her eyes shining. “You can’t let little things stop you from moving forward.”
Vilma nodded, thinking about her own life. She often felt the weight of wanting more—more success, more things, more recognition. But she realized that Tere wasn’t chasing after all that. She was just walking her own path, no matter the shoes.
Tere studied hard and graduated with honors. She found a good job, worked diligently, and built a comfortable life. She had a cozy home, a loving family, and continued helping others whenever she could.
One day, Tere was invited to a university reunion. Excited to see her old friends, she dressed nicely and made her way to the event. It had been several years since graduation, and Tere was eager to reconnect with familiar faces.
At the reunion, she spotted Vilma sitting alone at a table. Tere walked over and smiled. “Vilma! It’s been so long.”
Vilma looked up and smiled weakly. “Tere, you look great. I’ve missed you.”
Tere sat down beside her. “How have you been?” she asked, her tone warm.
Vilma sighed and looked away for a moment. “Life’s been… difficult. After graduation, I struggled to find a stable job. I keep trying, but things never seem to go my way.”
Tere listened carefully. “I’m sorry, Vilma. I didn’t know. But I believe things will get better for you.”
Vilma chuckled softly. “You always say that. You were always so positive. I remember you wearing those rubber shoes with a hole in the front. You never seemed to mind them.”
Tere laughed, her eyes twinkling. “Yes, my famous sneakers! Those shoes went everywhere with me. They were my constant companion during some of the toughest times of my life.”
Vilma smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. “How did you do it, Tere? How did you go from those shoes to this life? I mean, look at you now. You’re successful. You have a nice home, a good job, and a beautiful family. How did that happen?”
Tere thought for a moment, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. “It wasn’t just about the shoes, Vilma. Those shoes were just something to get me from one place to another. But I had to believe in where I was going, not just where I was.”
Vilma’s eyes narrowed in thought. “So it wasn’t luck? It wasn’t some magic that helped you?”
Tere shook her head. “No, it was determination. It was a choice. I didn’t wait for perfect conditions. I just kept moving forward. The shoes didn’t matter. What mattered was that I kept walking.”
Vilma was quiet for a long time, absorbing Tere’s words. She thought about her own struggles and how easy it had been to blame bad luck, poor timing, or the wrong circumstances. But maybe she had been looking at it all wrong.
“Maybe… maybe I need to stop waiting for things to change,” Vilma said slowly. “Maybe I need to just keep going, even if things aren’t perfect.”
Tere smiled gently. “Exactly. You don’t need perfect conditions to succeed. You just need to take the next step.”
Vilma nodded slowly, the weight on her shoulders seeming to lift just a little. She realized that while Tere had always been the optimistic one, it wasn’t because her life had been easy. It was because she had chosen to make the best of whatever came her way.
Tere reached across the table and squeezed Vilma’s hand. “You can do this, Vilma. You’ve always been strong. You just need to believe in yourself like I’ve always believed in you.”
Vilma’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Tere. I needed to hear that. I’ve been so caught up in trying to fix everything that I forgot the most important part: just keep going.”
And as they sat there, talking and reminiscing about their university days, Vilma felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time—hope. It wasn’t a grand, sudden change. It was a quiet, steady shift in her mind. She realized that her life didn’t need to be perfect to be valuable. She could still walk forward, even if her shoes weren’t brand new.
Over the next few months, Vilma started to look at life differently. She no longer waited for perfect opportunities. Instead, she made the most of the ones she had. She applied for new jobs, networked with people she met, and stopped being afraid of failing. She knew that even if her shoes had a hole, they could still take her to places she never imagined.
One day, as Vilma walked into her new job, she smiled to herself. Her shoes weren’t perfect, but she was. And that was all that mattered.
Tere’s sneakers with the hole in them had taught her a valuable lesson: it wasn’t the shoes you wore or the things you had that mattered. It was the journey you took and the steps you were willing to make, no matter how worn or torn they were.
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The Lesson of the Story :
The lesson in the story is that it’s not the things you have or the way you look that matter most. What matters is your attitude and how you face life’s challenges. Even if things aren’t perfect, you can still move forward with hope and determination. Life isn’t about waiting for the right time or the best things; it’s about taking each step, no matter how small, and believing in yourself. It teaches us that sometimes, what’s most important is the spirit you carry and the effort you put into your journey, not the obstacles or imperfections along the way. Success comes from within, not from what you own or wear.
