These Boots

I hate these boots.

They are big and clunky, dirty and greasy. They track up my floors and carpets. They have really LOOONG laces. The vacuum cleaner eats those laces. Sometimes I trip over these boots in the office. I often find them where they don't belong. They seem to multiply. They are all over the house. They are all over the garage. They are all over the truck. These boots annoy me. They irritate me. They make me cranky.

But...also...

I love these boots. These are the boots that go into live manholes to support Maddie and me. These are the boots that jump waaaay down into dirty trenches. These are the boots that labor in the hot sun for me. These boots walk through mud and muck to make repairs on broken water lines. These boots drag along horizontally through claustrophobic conduits. These boots drive long, long miles and long, long hours to and from the jobs that keep us afloat. These boots protect the feet of the sweetest man I know. These boots represent hard work, sweat, and responsibility. These boots annoy me...but sometimes...when I look at them--I get a lump in my throat and my eyes feel a little wet.

I love these boots.