Do you ever stare at your feet? Today I found myself spacing out for a moment, daydreaming about all the places my feet have taken me. Odd, I know. But I came to terms quite some time ago that I was definitely odd and definitely a daydreamer. I can live with it. It’s bizarre when you sincerely reflect on your life…all the steps you’ve taken that have lead you to the present you. Your first steps in life, hobbling towards a trusted adult or sibling (hopefully), only to fall on your tush. Your first steps taken into school, hesitant and unsure. Your first job interview, sweat and stutter inducing (if you’re like me). Your first unsteady step onto a sandy beach or slimy lake, wondering why you didn’t do this sooner. Stepping into a car you regret getting into, hoping you can step out earlier than planned. Stepping onto the pavement, with the insane goal of running towards a finish line, hoping you cross it first. Where have your feet lead you? Did your body ever physically fight against your initial plan or direction, knowing it wasn’t the right path to be on? How many miles have they taken on for us? How many blisters or wounds did they experience? I was always barefoot as a child, even if that meant getting thorns stuck in my feet every time I ran through the yard. “Next time I’ll avoid them!” I declared confidently. I never seemed to steer clear though. Alas, feeling that soft grass beneath my feet was far more refreshing than protecting my skin from a vile thorn. That’s what tweezers are for! I distinctly recall moments in my life where my feet literally stopped moving. I’d freeze, one foot hesitantly moving backward, as if my soul was trying to guide me into a different direction, knowing this wasn’t the right step for me. Do you usually listen to your body in those moments? Or do you move forward because it’s what you “should do”? Or because you’re “people pleasing”? We’ve all taken so many steps in life…if only we knew what steps were coming next. Though, perhaps the glory in it all, may be that we never really know.
