Footprints

By Jerry Mack Grubbs

As I stepped off the curb I punched the button on my stopwatch to begin the monitoring of my morning walk. The goal is four miles in an hour. At the two-mile mark if I am ahead of time I slow down and if I am behind, I speed up for the remaining two miles. For six in the morning the day was already beginning to heat up. I was thankful for light raindrops falling on my face. Putting on my headset I cranked up the volume to the song “Georgia Rain” which was befitting the occasion. While lost in thought during my walk, a sweet familiar fragrance drifted over me. Instantly I knew that the smell was coming from the pink flower of a mimosa tree.

We had a mimosa tree in our front yard when I was growing up. I stepped over to the tree and took a deep breath. With that breath came memories marching around in my mind. I won’t bore you today with any of those memories other than to say they are precious to me. Many hours of my life were spent out there in the shad of that tree. As I stepped back onto the sidewalk from the damp grass to continue my morning walk, I looked behind me and saw that my wet shoes were leaving footprints on the concrete. Within six or seven steps the footprints began to fade. I was still walking on the sidewalk, my tennis shoes were still making contact with the concrete but there was no visible evidence being left behind.

The music in my headset began to fade from my consciousness as I began to reflect on all the people who have walked across my life and left footprints on my heart. Many of those people are no longer physically close to me but their influence on my life is still present. I am thankful for the invisible footprints that continue to lead me in my life.

The familiar fragrance of the mimosa tree drew me back in my mind and helped those early footprints become visible once more. Mark Twain once said, “ I am a part of all I have met.” How blessed I am for those I have met. How blessed we are to be able to choose the best part of all we meet. My experience this morning brought about a desire to walk more tenderly through life. Whether my footprints are visible or invisible, I desire that they lift, encourage, carry and lead. But most importantly, I want my footsteps to follow in the steps of those who have been such a positive influence on me.