Footprints

It was dark, the sky still managing to shine a muddled dark blue against the soft glow of the moon. I stepped out onto the cool pavement with my husband beside me. It was time to give my garden the much deserved water it must be thirsty for after a hot summer day. As I switched nozzle settings I gave each plant the attention they needed.

As I nurtured my plants the water misted against my skin, dripping down to my bare feet. In summertime, I almost always go without shoes. There is something about being bare footed against the Earth that always make me feel at home. At peace. As I finished up, I realized my husband had been standing near, evaluating art that I had created with my footprints. Unknown to me, he was critiquing the way my prints formed against the black asphalt. These silhouettes that illuminated in the light off my porch. "Your feet have such a high arch" he proclaimed. "I am so flatfooted, but you have a nice footprint". It was in that moment that my heart felt a flutter in this blackest of nights. In those fleeting moments I realized that Avery's footprints had an arch too. I smiled and touched the place on my arm that has his forever footprints etched in ink. Our footprints are similar. He has something of mine!

You see, I always looked at Avery's footprints and thought that the way they were formed looked like my husband. His tiny, but bubbly toes, his square tipped nails...all my husband. Even down to the way they rested. But the arch...the arch is ours. He has something of mine that I passed down to my sweet angel.

As most who have loved and lost can attest to, finding these moments is so very important. Because loving someone from a distance makes you chase new ways to make memories. It makes you yearn for new discoveries. And this one for me came over two years later.

Never stop looking for your angel...because there will never be footprints too small that don't leave an imprint on this crazy beautiful world.