Footprints

This Mother's Day weekend, my sister and I decided to take my mother out for mother-daughter pedicures. I drove to Salt Lake in the mid-morning to pick up my mother and sister and off we headed.


In a lot of ways my feet have seen many things since my last pedicure and I welcomed the hour of pampering. Most other women in the shop were talking, or reading magazines. My sister and I spent our time making fun of my mother for giggling from the massage chairs, and trying to convince her she really did want a brighter shade of pink for her toes. I was offered a magazine, but instead of indulging in the ridiculous events of current gossip, I thought about my life and had a little self-evaluation.


Continuing in that frame of mind, I later went rummaging through some things I left in storage at my Parents' house. Among the dusty boxes, I found "footprints" of the life that I have lived. I came across old journals, mission memorabilia, an old photo album, and a box of reminders of lost love. Past events flew past my memory with the rush of emotions resurfacing and retracting once again. To my surprise pain and sadness did not resurface, rather, I was pleased to realize that I remained happy. I was not living in the past, nor was I holding on to it. However, I was reminded that I HAVE LIVED A GOOD LIFE and of one thing I am entirely certain, I leave footprints wherever I go. As I looked through some of those old photographs and smiled, this quote came to mind:

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay a while and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same." ~Unknown

 I am constantly reminded that I am who I am because of the people and events that have left footprints on my heart. Positive or negative, they have helped to mold me into the person I am. I have always believed to a fault that serving, working, loving etc. should be done with your WHOLE HEART. I can see that my life is beginning to be a reflection of that. Life might be easier if I did everything half-hazardly, but I would rather leave a footprint.

I echo President Abraham Lincoln when he said:

"Die when I may, I want it to be said by those who knew me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow."