Cowboy Boots

When my youngest daughter was very little I marveled at her confidence and ability to walk her own path.  Not only did she not care if those around her approved or not, she seemed to not notice.  She wore clothes she loved and the fact they didn't match was never taken into consideration.  She presented one of my favorite outfits one afternoon at the bottom of the stairs.   She wore her orange and blue swimsuit, her brown cowboy boots and her cowboy hat.  Her skinny legs jumped with excitement as she held a large blue inner tube and shouted she was ready for the pool.  No one told her people don't wear cowboy boots with swimsuits and if they had she still would have worn the outfit.  We were going swimming and the only shoes she ever wanted to wear were her boots. She wore them to bed when they were new.  She never wore the clothes someone else suggested.  She never copied someone else's wishes or dreams or plans.  She had her own dreams and confidently sprinted  toward them.  I watched her in awe.  I loved how she didn't care what anyone else thought.  She would only be true to herself and no other opinion ever moved her off her path.

I'm 41 now and am beginning to consistently walk in the shoes I love instead of the shoes I think I should wear or the shoes I think others will approve of.  It has been a process for me.  Part of that process began with deciding who I was.  I had to decide which shoes were my favorite.  What outfit makes me happy and content and screams out my personality?  Then I had to decide I didn't care if I looked different than those around me.  I see a friend and I see how beautiful they are.  My mind immediately compares myself to them.  I have to train my mind to see they are beautiful in their shoes and I might be beautiful in mine.  It is okay if we wear different shoes, we can both be beautiful.

Confidently walk in your own shoes.  Confidently wear the clothes that make you feel great.  Confidently walk your own path.  As you see those around you in their favorite shoes walking their unique path, admire them, encourage them and remember you are a different person and it is okay if your journey and your wardrobe looks different.

I am in a particular stage in my life right now which may be different from most of those around me.  My path will continue to look different.   My young teenage daughters are growing fast and I am aware in a few short heartbeats I won't see them as often as I do now.  I want to treasure my moments with them.  I want to train them to be responsible and compassionate young women.  I don't want to waste time or energy on anything that can be thrown away.  I want to invest in my family and the precious relationships I have with people close to me.  I want to walk my path confidently while those around walk their path.

Life isn't predictable.  Life is rarely simple.  I don't want to make it more complicated by worrying about my shoes.