In My Shoes

What is it about women and their shoes?
For so many of us, it is a love affair that stretches back through the years.

The 50's-style saddle shoes I begged my mom for as a young girl.
The Speedo water sandals I literally lived in as a competitive swimmer and lifeguard.
The penny loafers I wore out the summer I spent on a high school trip to Spain.
The Birkenstocks that were so absolutely necessary for a teenager in the 90's. 
The trusty ASICS that have propelled me through triathlons and the like.
The sassy red pumps with the low heels that make me feel beautiful and girly.

But my most favorite pair of shoes are far less flashy and far more practical than all of the above. I suppose they share more of my own personality characteristics than the others as well-- sturdy, supportive, and meant to traverse paths of all grades and roughness. They are my Merrell trail shoes.

Sure, they might not be Louboutins or Jimmy Choos, but to me they are the most valuable pair of shoes in my closet.

They have taken me to places of breathless beauty: The Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, and all over the beautiful Wasatch Mountains I call home.

They have stood with me on a cold wet pool deck as I coached my high school and club swimmers through the years. Encouraging, disciplined, resilient. 

They have been with me as I have cultivated the little patch of ground surrounding our home, helping as I gradually coaxed it into a garden bursting with the fruits of the earth.

They have supported my feet on the hard kitchen floor as I work each year, preserving the harvest of each season.

They have strengthened me as I have cradled sick or sleepless little ones, logging countless miles in my own home-- walking, rocking, and bouncing.

They have been with me for over eight years and still have a lot of life yet to live.

When I think about the person I want to become, the woman I aspire to being, I think about my trusty old shoes. I don't want to be a pair of red pumps, good for nothing other than being cute. I want to be my Merrells-- my life given in service, in cultivating beauty, in reaching higher ground.

When the day comes when I meet my Creator, I want to smile and say, "I wore myself out in support and service. I have trod through garden paths and rocky canyon trails, and came out the other side with wisdom and experience. I have done the best I that I could with what I have been given."

Sorry, Jimmy Choo.
I'll take my well-loved utilitarian kicks any day of the week.

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This post is part of a Wordfull Wednesday blog hop hosted by Chocolate on my Cranium!

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes and link up with us. 

What adventures in life have you had in them?