Cancer and Walking a Mile in Their Shoes.

Shoes have a story, a life that winds around a day filled with thoughts, ideas, fears, hopes and living. They are bought new, used and sometimes borrowed to never come home again instead finding a new life somewhere else.  I had a pair of beautiful, very comfortable black shoes that have moved to Indianapolis with my blessings. This event gave me pause for thought at the time since I loved the shoes which were not inexpensive but since I loved a dear friend far more the shoes flew away with my anxiety growing that she would lose her bags with the shoes until I asked her to wear them on the trip home as I had a lot more confident in her not losing my shoes when they were on her feet.   

Which brings to a posting about shoes for you see my mind wanders at odd moments either leading me to deep philosophical discussions with myself or a simple staring off into space about things that we see every day.  I have gotten use to it to the point that I can engage myself quite easily with wondering about practically everything I see. There are many things that have affected me quite deeply as I watch the lives about me drift this way and that.  I am in constant wonder at the sadness and the strength as we struggle in our days of existence enough that I am striving to share a part of this with myself and someone who just might be listening or reading.

Here is short discussion with someone I know that had the experience of being a breast cancer survivor.  I will begin with a question that I asked her.  We have all heard the expression of wait until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

What was your greatest concern?

“No, no, no. I kept saying no. I was in denial. This is not happening to me. Until finally I stopped thinking of me, what was happening and started thinking of my children.  I had adopted them.  I wanted to watch them grow. Even now I feel bad and start to cry.”

But you are here now.

“Yes, I am here now.”

We are all here now and maybe, just maybe that is all that counts.