Footsies

"Feet are considered a delicacy among certain animals, you know.... In fact, there are certain man-eating animals who will eat only the feet, leave everything else, will not touch one other thing."~ Blake Edwards

Chicken Feet on Sale at the Grocery Store- another "sign!"

I often spend the day observing what goes on around me in the hopes something will spark an idea for a blog.

Yesterday the signs all pointed to feet. As Spring weather settles in, more and more people are exposing their little piggies.  I'm not a foot person by nature, but it seemed like everywhere I turned, there were FEET!


It began Friday morning when a little four year old girl stepped off the elevator at work. She was a precious little doll, dressed from head to toe in spring colors. Her petite feet were displayed in strappy sandals. Each teeny, tiny piggy toe was painted pale pink with a flower decal in the middle of the nail. Is there anything cuter than baby feet?


Then, there was the  NPR story about a man in Ohio who was suing the state because he was banned from walking around the State House in his bare feet. It seems he likes to go barefoot year round. Down South they have a name for thick soled bare feet- Jiffy Feet.


Later, I was thinking about how people's feet are so different, so unique. How many times do we look at people's toes? They come in all shapes and sizes. They are hairy, crooked, hammer toed, chubby, or thin and stringy.


In my last career, I had to round up twelve people who would consent to have their feet washed by the Bishop. It was one of the most difficult tasks of all of Holy Week. So many people declined, explaining that, "they have ugly feet."  I think that was only part of their reluctance.


Mother Teresa's first act when she met a poor person in Calcutta, was to kneel down and gently wash their feet.  Our feet are a sign of our extreme vulnerability. Washing someone's feet is an act of humility.


Perhaps our world would be a better place if we all regularly washed each other's feet~ starting with our own loved ones.