beautiful feet

They were ugly in fact!

Translucent white and flatfooted with middle age. They struck me immediately as he came round the corner. I was shocked. I rarely got to see those feet. I was more used to the leather shod feet of purpose, success, activity.  And they were out of place, with the rest of him clothed as though on the way out. That was the first thing I noticed, the feet, and they were bare and ugly.

The second thing I noticed was that he was weeping. Spontaneous tears, and suddenly embarrassed as he noticed me there. I was unexpected in this remote part of the house.

And the last thing I registered was what he was saying, over and over, visibly distressed; "he had no shoes, he had no shoes, he did not even have shoes, he.."

And then he saw me. Embarrassed,  he turned quickly to leave, suddenly conscious of me, the unexpected witness. His closing words as he left, perhaps the first thing that came to his mind, possibly to cover the embarrassment, I don't know, but these words have stayed with me nonetheless.

"We have so much. How can we keep it to ourselves?".

I know now by looking back that those feet shod many "shoes" to "share" what he had with those around him who were not as fortunate. And I know all too well; he had had "enough" but hardly "so much"! No billionaire philanthropy here!
But the little we do have... how can we keep it to ourselves?

I've got "shoes".
Plenty in fact. I've inherited the flat feet !?!
 We've all got "shoes" we can share with those that don't have any.

I often remember those feet as my paths take me past those with no shoes, education, housing, hope.
If I can walk half the paths those beautiful feet have walked I'll be content. 

Yup, beautiful feet indeed :-)