Fourth Pair

What can a pair of boots… mean? That’s what I keep asking myself as a sit down to write this post.

They mean the end of a journey that started with a promise: a promise to make my husband kamiik. And they mean he had faith in me to follow through when we invested in materials.

They mean the lives of three seals: a bearded seal harvested and processed in Clyde River and sold on Facebook; a ringed seal cleaned by a friend who has since passed away; and a harp seal (I think) mostly used for other things but generously shared with me.

They mean a learning process, not just of skills, but of knowing how to need and accept help. How to accept a workflow that has to work with other people.

They mean the time, work, and shared knowledge of friends who choose to be generous and welcome me in their space.

They reflect my husband’s unique tastes: this is about as plain a design as I could talk my friends into helping me with! But that’s what he really wanted.

I’m so glad they are done, and again to have had Hannah’s help in finishing the soles, and Siipa’s help (and gift of isik) in the tops. The ring seal was one of the last ones processed by the late Uliipika, whom we still miss, and I think Elisapee finished processing it.