Barefoot days of summer

I am enjoying the barefoot days of summer here in Oregon.
I have always preferred being barefoot to wearing shoes.
I remember as a child
(and as a teen)
running around barefoot most of my days.

I splashed through mud puddles,
ran through sprinklers,
would seek out the cool water running in the curbs to cool my feet on a hot summer day.

I  tromped through the freshly tilled soil when mom and dad were preparing the garden each spring.

And I especially enjoyed taking my shoes off and digging my toes into the cool, moist, sand in our homemade sandbox.

There is nothing quite like the feel of the earth on my feet.
I suppose it helps me feel grounded,
or perhaps connected,
in a way that I don't feel or sense when I am wearing shoes.

I used to wear moccasins as the weather turned cool in the Fall stretching that barefoot feeling out as long as I could.

I still have a pair of moccasins in my closet that always go camping with me.

I have learned to appreciate a good hiking shoe for the stability and support it gives, but as soon as I get in the car, I slip into something less confining.

Many of my family members tease me about my feet photos.

I, myself, have wondered about the fascination I have with my feet.
They are not something that I particularly like,
nor am I particularly proud of their appearance.
In fact, I have been embarrassed by my feet most of my life.

You see due to going barefoot so often, they are rough & calloused.
(Tonight they may get a much deserved soak.)

My feet are also quite large by most womens' standards.

In my adolescent and early teen years, I had the largest feet in my class.
They were made fun of by family and friends.
On one occasion I recall my Grampy,
in his harsh, yet loving way tell me,
"Don't worry about the size of your feet, it just means you are well grounded."
I don't know if I really understood what he meant at that time, but I took it to heart anyway.

Over the years I have grown to appreciate my feet.
I don't mind so much the teasing from family these days.
Or maybe I just don't care.
 

My feet have come to be a way for me to feel connected at any given moment in time.
The photos help me recall where I was, what I was thinking, who I was with, what the weather was like, and so many other external and internal thoughts and feelings.

In the past 6 months or so friends have been sending me their feet pictures.
(Below you will find a few that were sent my way along with some of my favorites.)
And I am always glad to receive them.
It helps me feel connected to the sender.
I know they were thinking of me at the time they took the picture,
and at the time they sent the picture to me.


It suppose it is a bit quirky, or at least a bit odd.
But I have never claimed to be normal.