Patrick Mosher recalls polishing his father's black wingtip shoes with an orange shoeshine box his dad taught him to use perfectly, earning a dime for meeting standards. Decades later, after his father's death, that same box became the heirloom he chose first, a gift given twice that finally showed him what his father had been teaching all along.
Chapters
My dad wore a different pair of black wingtip shoes every day to work, 5 days a week. On Sundays, I sat on an orange shoeshine box and shined 5 pairs of shoes. He showed me how to dab a bit of polish onto the old sock, applying the polish to the shoe. Pay particular attention to the toes, which tend to get scruffed. Take the laces off so you can polish the tongues. Make sure to get the sides of the shoes too. Don't leave any polish blotches. Brush in a fast swaying motion until the dull polish reveals a shine that glints in the light. Put the laces back in so there's equal length on each side. 5 pairs of shoes, 10 shoes. It took me forever to shine those shoes, and Dad gave me a dime for the work. But only if the shine on each shoe met his quality standards. And sometimes I was a little bit too eager to get out to play and the job wasn't done to his standards. He called me in to finish the job or forfeit the dime. It was a choice. Never to disappoint, I would always come back and complete the job. And after the first couple of times, I didn't get called back in. I learned. I learned what it takes to finish a high-quality job. I learned about earning a little bit of money to get things I wanted, like baseball cards. And yes, I learned how to shine shoes. Those lessons formed my own expectations of quality, my own drive to finish what I start. Getting out that orange shoeshine box and shining dad's shoes shaped who I became, and those very talents became the cornerstone of my success. When I started in my career, what kind of shoes do you think I bought first? Well, you guessed it— black wingtips. On Sundays, I would get out the black shoeshine polish and polish them up just like Dad taught me. It was a Sunday ritual, and I smiled as I thought about Dad. And oh yes, I shined a nice shine into those shoes. In his waning years, Dad made each of us 4 kids make a prioritized list of the things we wanted from the estate. And when he passed, we gathered at the house and pulled out our lists. Starting with our number 1 pick, we claimed what we wanted, oldest to youngest, and I'm the youngest. And the process was fair, as that's how things always got done in our family. Orderly, methodical, logical. After all, Dad was a finance manager and Mom was a librarian. That orange shoeshine box was near the top of my list, and I was anxious. Each sibling had a different purpose and strategy for our lists: memories, filling gaps in our own homes, legacy, value. We went around as we marched through our lists, beginning with the top priorities and scratching off items as we went. If another sibling picked an item on our list, you scratched it. No contention. Dad made a provision in his will saying if there was any contention on any item, that that item would then be sold and proceeds divided 4 ways. That's just how it was done. Finally, my list got down to the orange shoeshine box, and I announced my pick. My oldest brother gave me a surprised look. You know, I made that box for Dad when I was a Cub Scout. I had no idea. And of course, I offered it back to him. And he smiled. No, I made it, gave it to Dad, and now it's yours. Oh, a precious gift. Twice given multiplies the value. These days when I shine my shoes, I pull down that old orange shoeshine box from the shelf. I sit on our bench in the mudroom and I reach into that box and pull out the black shoeshine paste. Remember how that smells? I dab some onto the old black sock just like Dad taught me, and I begin. And as I polish the shoes and brush them, The shine catches a glint of light from the nearby window. Hello, Dad. I'm reminded of Dad's gift, of my brother's gift. I say a prayer of thanks for each of them. Yes, with a dab of gratitude. Gifts given twice multiplies the value. Shine your shoes and shine boldly.
