I will preface this by saying I am short. Five feet tall. No more, no less. As such I have always worn heels. So when I received an invitation to a media event where my nine-year-old daughter could walk a red carpet, she asked if she could wear heels too. I said yes. Here’s what she learned about owning her first pair. You may never find the perfect shoes. My daughter’s dress was turquoise. She wanted the shoes to be blue too. Blue high-heeled shoes, preferably with glitter, in a child’s size 3. We may as well have been looking for a unicorn. Wandering around the children’s shoe section my daughter wondered out loud why she couldn’t find any to match her dress. “Ah, child,” I told her, “The perfect match is a rare occurrence. You’ll find the most amazing pair of shoes, but not the right outfit, or you’ll find the perfect outfit and settle on the shoes. Those times when those two things come magically together it is ensemble nirvana.” Then she asked what nirvana meant. Heels can hurt. Finally, at the very last store we looked there they were. A pair of sparkly silver shoes. They had a small heel and were only $20. They weren’t blue, but my daughter decided they would do. For the next three days my daughter clomped around the house, practicing her walk. Finally, on the day of the big event, I noticed she was wearing socks with her heels. Socks. They hurt too much without them, she said. I asked her if she wanted to wear a different pair but she shook off the suggestion with the wave of her hand and a look that said “no way lady.” So off we went with my girl rocking her heels wearing the thinnest socks I could find. Sometimes shoes do bring great joy. I am not one of those women who have a huge closet filled with shoes. Who has the budget or the space? But I do know the joy of finding a pair that look and feel fabulous. They are the ones that add a spring to your step because you are wearing the cutest shoes EVER. My girl was feeling that in her heels. Her confident smile confirmed it. Since the event, my daughter has worn the shoes just once and at the rate her feet grow, they’ll probably only fit her for the next five minutes. Which is fine because they served their purpose and like most things she outgrows, they will be passed down to one of her little friends. As for more requests for shoes with heels, my girl, who is almost my height and is sure to be taller than me in a year or two may never feel the need, like I do, for shoes that make her taller. But I think she will want at least one pair because she’s told me that she’s been eyeing a pair of my black dressy heels “you know,” she says, “for when I’m older.”