Staring at her worn-out sneakers, Sarah felt embarrassed going to school wearing them.

“What’s the matter, Sarah? Is there something wrong with the food?” her mother inquired upon seeing her gloomy on the breakfast table and absent-mindedly sorting out the breadcrumbs on the plate.

Sarah, in a high-pitched voice, shouted, “I am sick of these shoes! I am no longer wearing these to my school! Do you know how embarrassing it is?”

Meghan, (Sarah’s mother) was a single mother working in a nearby town café. She explained, “Right now, we’re on a tight budget. I’ll make sure to get you a new pair next month.”

Sarah picked up her backpack and walked to school, giving her mother a dissatisfied look. The school had announced the annual sports competition and Sarah, being an enthusiastic person, filled out the form for a relay race.

When one of her seniors saw this, she approached Sarah and asked if she was certain about participating in this race. Sarah was perplexed as to what the senior meant.

“Dear, if you have a new pair of shoes, then its fine. But if you choose to wear the ones you are wearing now, I guarantee you will lose the race!” the senior said, pointing at Sarah’s shabby shoes.

Sarah simply nodded and returned to her classroom without saying anything. Later that day, on her way home, Sarah realised she hadn’t eaten her lunch, so she stopped at a bus stop to finish it in order to avoid getting scolded by her mother. When she began eating, she noticed that a child was standing in shabby clothes and smeared hands behind her. Sarah knew the kid needed that peanut butter and jelly sandwich that she was eating, since the kid stared at her and then at her food.

Sarah handed the sandwich to the child, who ran up to her, excitedly grabbed the sandwich from Sarah’s hand and began eating it. Sarah attempted to communicate with the child, asking his name, age and where his family was, but the boy was so engrossed in his food that he paid no attention.

After finishing the sandwich, the child thanked Sarah, saying, “I haven’t had such a tasty sandwich in a long time. My father is a cleaner in a house down the street and my mother is a patient at a cancer hospital. Oh, and my name is Sam.”

Sarah felt embarrassed after hearing this because she realised she had been very ungrateful for the things she had. She cried because she didn’t have brand new shoes when there were people in the world who didn’t have access to even the basic necessities of life. Though a small conversation, it changed Sarah for good and she decided to be a better version of herself. She realised how wrong she had been in pestering her mother into buying her new stuff.

So when her mother returned from her night shift at the café, Sarah ran up to her and told her that she needed to tell her something. So both mother and her daughter had a conversation over dinner and Sarah told her mum about the competition in which she had decided to compete. She went on to say that she no longer needed new shoes because her current white sneakers were sufficient and worked just fine. Her mother smiled as she thought her daughter has realised a lot of things.

Days passed, and finally the day of the sports competition arrived, Sarah was all set and determined to win. The winning prize was a surprise and all the participants were eager to know what it was.

The race started, Sarah was exhausted and, no doubt, she felt a bit uncomfortable in her old sneakers. But she was determined to win. After the final lap, Sarah managed to win the second place. When the time for prize distribution arrived, it was revealed that the first prize was a trophy with some gifts, the second prize was a voucher to a popular shoe store and the third prize was some cash.

Sarah couldn’t help but cry with happiness when she saw the voucher for the shoe store in her hands.

The power of faith and acceptance is the lesson that this story teaches. You should always be grateful for what you have because it helps you build strong relationships with others and create a positive vibe. What is destined for you is on its way, you have to just wait — it could just be what you have always wanted. Accept what you currently have, that is the secret of living a happy life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 2nd, 2022