There is a shoe for every season, the perfect shoe can change your life.
It is May! After a long dreadful winter and a wet and sappy spring, the sun and temperatures are finally warmer. But that turning of my stomach has also reappeared. May never fails to remind me that my mom is no longer here to celebrate. But this year, as I cried alone in my car, I kept asking myself how could I honor her memory in a way that is tangible? How can I encourage mothers to be fierce, confident, or a great friend like she was? Slip into her shoes perhaps.
This is very cliché, we all trying to make sense of the last 365 days in the last hours of New Years Eve. But here I am looking at my old shoes and considering which are really old and which ones are to keep. I realize that in certain ways I do this with my habits. Also with my goals and even relationships. Earlier this year I tried to focus on the word “disengage” in an attempt to be more purposeful on what I needed to be and get rid of bad habits, sin, and even activities that were good but I no longer felt passionate about.
Sitting here trying to make sense of 2018 I find myself going back to 2017 and how the word: Enough still rang true for the past 365 days. I recently shared with my church family about it and I will share here again. (more…)
There is nothing more painful for me than letting go of my favorite shoes. I have been looking for over a year for a new pair of brown wedge pumps and I cannot seem able to find them. There is nothing spectacular about them, they are versatile and comfortable. Well, they were. I had to throw them away after they completely ripped. Have you had this experience?
Maybe is not shoes what you have had to kiss good bye. Maybe it has been a season of your life that you really loved but came to an end. (more…)
This summer I wore running shoes and Birkenstock’s sandals more than ANY other shoes. This may not be of concern for many people, but for a gal who loves shoes it was strange. I traveled to Newfoundland, in the northeast of Canada, for two weeks with my family — a place everyone wanted to go… except me.
I knew it was a beautiful place, but also had heard of the cooler temperatures, that for my tropical blood was less than enticing. However, I had to live out what I preach to my kids: we need to support, make allowances for each other. This was my husband’s wish.
We packed two travel trailers, two trucks and my car. I downloaded the latest Latin album ( Despacito anyone?), and set off for what seemed like an endless road trip. I confess I was a little worried I would lose my cool after a while. I simply need alone time to recharge and there was none of that in the agenda for this trip. I reached out to my peeps and implored their prayers for a heat wave of Grace. (more…)
The feeling of a broken heel is a distinct one. It’s more familiar to gals walking on city sidewalks, getting their shoes stuck in vents, on electric escalators or on public transit. But sometimes heels break because of a worn-out shoe or poor manufacturing or simply because we abuse them by running or jumping.
But the feeling! Sometimes it’s shame or embarrassment. Especially if you’re all dressed-up at an event. Now, if happening during the day it could be freeing as then you have the perfect reason to buy a new pair, or you may be able to repair them. However, the best scenario is when a friend saves you from embarrassment by doing one of two things: taking her shoes off and going barefoot so that you’re not alone, or lends you a pair of her shoes so that you can carry on.
That last possible scenario is a good illustration of empathy; a word I have learned a lot about in this last decade. (more…)
I have this new pair of winter boots that I bought in the summer. Uh? I know! I am a bargain hunter addict. When it comes to shoes I do not care if the pair I find is for the right season. If it fits and it is the right price, I will take it!
This is the time of the year when we all take inventory of the things we did, started, quit, abandoned, or simply tried. Sometimes I can get obsess with what I did not accomplish or did not have the courage to start.
This year though I am so grateful I had the courage to start this blog. There were times when I felt very discouraged and doubted if I should keep it up. However, I dismissed those thoughts a dozen times and published a few paragraphs of adventures and shoes I wore this 2016.
The new year is upon us and I cannot wait for snow to wear my new boots, dust off the snowshoes and hit the trails. But before ringing in the new year I need to do my balance sheet.
Heel graduation!
I was watching TV last Friday, and got a text from a dear friend showing me her heels find of the day. I chuckled at the text, and replied excitedly, “Woot woot! Heels! Straps and platform?! You are a graduate!”
See, my friend has great style and a beauty that really comes from inside but until a decade ago her shoes did not reflect that beauty.
I HAD to intervene! Fortunately, she was open and humble to my “unasked-for” shoe advice. She now loves when her birthday rolls around and we have our annual shoe hunting day. Obviously, the gift is always shoes, with a good dose of Thai food, laughter and encouragement. (more…)
During a recent flight from Miami to Guatemala City, a lady came down the aisle toward where I was seated. As she’d approached what seemed to be her seat, beside mine, she kindly asked a young man to place her carry-on on in the bin. She then asked me to let her into the window seat. As more people boarded the plane it became evident that my fellow passenger had actually sat in the wrong seat, but the other passenger did not make a fuss, and took a seat instead at the back of the plane.
We took off and the woman asked me what was taking me to Guatemala. I proceeded to tell her my story – I was a temporary missionary headed to Villa Hortencia II. I shared with her about our partnership with Food for the Hungry. She thanked me. When I asked how her trip to the United States was, her eyes became glassy. She said, “it was good, I finally got to see my children and met my grandchildren.” (more…)
Blogger note: The following posts will be filled with memories from my recent trip to Guatemala. It will be about the people I met, what they taught me and how I now feel challenged and motivated to DO more love. There will also be stories of the people I travelled with, amazing friends that more than ever have become treasures in my journey.
It is already Wednesday and the hot sun is shining bright. We’ve made our way around the village to the homes awaiting installation of cooking stoves. We find out our first house has already installed their own stove. They have been trained, but they were supposed to wait for us to help with installation. However, we are equally pleased that they have it done. See, these stoves are a big step up from the open fires they have been using to cook on and heat their houses with. (more…)
We are here. After a thrilling ride in the back of a pick up truck up and down twisty dusty roads we arrived to Villa Hortencia 2. My heart beated SO fast, tears of joy filled my heart and that feeling of arriving home took over me.
Villa Hortencia is tucked among beautiful mountains in northwest Guatemala. (more…)