BeachFeet

Summers in Texas get hot.  Really hot.  My only goal during those days of inferno-like temperatures is to KEEP COOL.  T-shirts, shorts, cotton, and linen are precious items. But whoever invented the “flip-flop” should especially be praised. Being able to let my feet run fancy-free is a luxury that I especially enjoy.  Not only are flip-flops a method of keeping my “toesies” available to moving air, they are also a wonderful thing to a mom who is busy chasing little ones and needs a quick shoe to slide on at a moments notice.

A few summers ago, my family went on vacation to a wonderful Christian family camp we’ve attended since I was a child.  I packed with the heat in mind and, of course, stashed a variety of flip-flops to aid in my goal of keeping cool during our stay.  Now, this camp experience strikes a nice balance between roughin’ it and being on a vacation.  The accommodations are more like motels.  There is a dining hall that serves up three square meals a day (and desserts at night).  And although there are lots of places to walk where I need to be aware of where I step, there are also plenty of of sidewalks and paved walkways to utilize in getting around.  So a mama in flip flops shouldn’t be any big deal, right?

So on a beautiful morning – one that was just the right temperature – I decided to slip on my flops and take a bit of a walk.  My toes had just recently been primed and painted and I was anxious to let those babies see the light of day. I had dreams of enjoying time on a bench with my Bible in front of the lake before my family awoke so I quietly got dressed and slipped on my you-know-whats.

The path from my door to the main sidewalk was basically a small, sandy, clearing ladened with pine needles, pine cones, and pebbles. I was used to watching where my feet landed when I walked anywhere at this camp because the terrain could easily result in a stubbed toe or throbbing sole depending on what I kicked or stepped on.  But not this morning.  I wasn’t paying attention at all.  I was so enthralled with the dew on the grass, and the birds singing their morning songs. I wasn’t paying attention at all.

I was barely conscious of the benign slap of the shoe against the bottom of my feet as I walked down the path toward the sidewalk.

Slap-slip. Slap-slip. Slap-slip…SQUISH!

I stopped cold. My head was reeling with the possibilities of what had just happened, afraid of what my next move would reveal. .

Sorry… this post was really long…so I spread it over a couple of days.  Be sure to read Part II!