I love being barefoot – feeling the dewy grass on my feet in the early mornings, and nuzzling my toes into the carpet in our home. My toes were so excited when we got new carpet a few years ago, a totally new sensation which I am actually experiencing as I write!
I love the feeling of water and sand on my toes. There is nothing quite like this incredible sensory experience. The mere act seems to heightens all of the senses: the smell of the water, the sensation of the sand shifting around my toes, the brightness of the sun reflecting on the water and the sound of the waves lapping in and around my toes as it makes its way onto shore.
(The picture above is from Peru where my Canadian friend Chantale was experiencing her first time in the Pacific Ocean. So glad to have shared this moment with her!)
The first thing I do when I get home is take off my shoes and socks. Ours is one of those houses with a shoe rack at the front door. A hold-over from living in Hawaii. Visitors aren’t expected to take off their shoes, but I shed them instantly. There is just something about being barefoot that makes me feel at ease.
Slipper socks have been collected from my monthly hospital stays. I never knew that the socks were color coded! Mine were always yellow, which means fall risk, but not serious fall risk as that would have been red. Guess that means, watch out for her, she is clumsy! I always took a few laps around the cancer ward every morning, yellow socks on my feet and IV pole in my hand. But once I got back in bed, those socks were off as soon as possible and I would stick my feet out from under the covers like little escapees! Something comforting about feeling that my feet were free!
Not sure where I am going writing this, but if you haven’t tried going barefoot, please try it! And I mean, really experience the essence of barefootedness (Hmm, think I just made up a word!) Now, the bottom on my feet are like leather, so yours may be more tender. And please watch out for bees and critters in the grass before placing your feet. I got stung a couple years ago, so now I look before I step!
But, if you can, try going out barefoot in the grass in the morning. Feel the blades of grass between your toes, the sweetness of the earth below with her slight dampness. Breathe into this feeling and let it transport you back to your childhood, to a time when life was simple and pure. Then go about your day and when you get home, shed those shoes as a symbol of shedding the stress of the day. Wiggle your toes and relax into your evening.
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