Life is better in boots.

Some people may not understand how that could possibly be the case because boots are just a pair of shoes. But, that's where they're wrong - cowboy boots are far more than that. Cowboy boots are like an old, reliable friend. It doesn't matter how much wear and tear you put them through, they are always there walking through whatever life throws your way.

My boots have been through it all: high school, graduation, tractor pulls, countless musicals, prom, funerals, first day of college, falling in love, and falling out. They've been scuffed and covered in mud many more times than I can count but through it all, the boots have been there.

I may have multiple pairs of boots but there is one pair that is the go-to. This pair wasn't my first pair of boots, but they have been with me as I transitioned from a shy child to the young adult I'm slowly becoming today. If my boots could talk, which thank goodness they can't, I'd hate to hear all the stories that they could tell. They've seen it all and, maybe, that's why they're like a old friend that I can't seem to let go of no matter how many times I have had to have them resoled. My boots are a part of who I was and who I am becoming.

As I get older, I notice that my boots have more wear lines and scuffs than they used to have, but I remember what happened for each scrape to appear. For example, there is uneven tread on the heel that to anyone else who wore them would find uncomfortable and maybe even a little difficult to walk in. However, I find the slight unbalanced heel comforting and familiar. Having that piece of familiarity that my boots provide makes the idea of becoming an adult a little less scary.

I know that I can't keep those boots for forever because shortly there will be nothing left of the original boot to repair. It'll only be patches on top of patches and then they might actually be the "hobo boot" my mother claims they are now. But, until the day comes when I'm told they can't be repaired anymore because they are just that bad, I'll continue wearing them through the good, the bad, and everything else life throws my way.

I'll always have a special place in my heart for my favorite pair of boots. They've helped to define who I am as a person and given me a sense of confidence that I don't have otherwise. But, most of all, I'll be thankful that in a sense, I've had a trustworthy friend to experienced every growing up milestone with. And, when the time comes for me to take those old boots on my next adventure as a young adult starting life on her own, I might find out if Jason Aldean was right when he said that there's something about old boots and new dirt.