The Lonely Purple Sock

Written by Sandy Whitlow

Once upon a time, a lonely purple sock lived in the depths of a laundry basket. It was once part of a perfect pair, snug and cozy beside its twin. Together, they had warmed feet on chilly mornings, slid across wooden floors in playful mischief, and even hidden beneath blankets during stormy nights.

But one fateful day, the dryer took its twin.

At first, the purple sock refused to believe it. It searched every corner of the laundry room, hoping its other half would tumble out from behind the washer or slip from a tangled bedsheet. But days turned into weeks, and the truth settled like lint in its fibers—its twin was gone.

The sock was soon shoved to the back of the drawer, forgotten. It watched as other pairs were plucked one by one, worn with joy, while it remained untouched, unwanted. Who would wear a single sock?

Then, one afternoon, everything changed.

A hand reached into the drawer, brushing past the neatly folded pairs. The purple sock held its breath. Was it finally its turn? But just as it felt the familiar warmth of human touch, it was yanked into the air alongside… a polka-dotted sock.

“This’ll do,” said the voice above.

The sock looked at its mismatched companion. It was blue, covered in tiny yellow stars, and it smiled, much to the purple sock’s surprise.

“Looks like we’re in this together,” said the starry sock.

The purple sock had never thought of such a thing. A mismatched pair? It had spent so long mourning its twin that it had never considered the possibility of a new beginning.

That day, they danced on the hardwood floors, peeked out from beneath sneakers, and lounged comfortably on the couch. No one cared that they didn’t match. The wearer laughed and admired their quirky pairing

And for the first time in a long while, the lonely purple sock wasn’t lonely anymore.