The Woman with BIG Feet

I wrote this the first time I had to buy size 12 women’s shoes for my daughter (I don’t think she was even a teen at the time).  Her feet are even larger now, and her shoes even more expensive.  I won’t even mention trying to buy clothes for a girl six feet tall.  🙂

 

How do I buy shoes,

when I can’t find a pair that fit my feet?

A pair that covers their awful greatness?

 

Perhaps I should cut off my toes?

Or shave my heel?

 

Should I bind my feet

to make them small,

like they used to do in China?

 

Maybe I could just have them 

completely cut off and 

a new – smaller – pair attached instead?

 

I’m sure there is a plastic surgeon

    – somewhere –

that will do it for the right price.

 

Oh,

how I envy those with tiny feet

that will fit in children’ shoes –

they’re cheap!

Or,

those with ‘normal’ feet

who can just buy shoes

off the rack.

 

But no!  My feet

require custom makes,

their length and width are so great.

 

So I’ll make a fashion statement

and pad around in garbage bags,

to keep my feet from getting wet.

Happy New Year (belated – I know)

Life’s lesson’s can be painful.  I was scheduled for surgery in early December, something relatively routine.  Since it was routine, I thought I’d have the surgery, and be up and about in a couple of weeks.  I thought I’d have lots of time to write and edit and get things done during my six weeks off work to recover.  

I’ve learned something.  It takes time to heal after surgery.  And even though you may feel good (very good), you still need to take care of yourself and let your body get better.  Don’t rush.  Don’t overdo.  Be kind to yourself.  Let others be kind to you.

This lesson can be applied to other things in your life – like your writing.  

Don’t rush – unless it’s flowing so fast from your fingertips it’s hard to get it down.  But give yourself time to work on it and polish it.  

Don’t overdo – you still need to eat and sleep.  Don’t give yourself an unreasonable deadline – unless you are capable of forgiving yourself if you don’t meet it.

Be kind to yourself.  Mistakes happen.  Let others read your work and like it.  Let them encourage you – but let them tell you what they did’t like or didn’t understand without getting upset.  They are helping you make your work accessible to other readers.

Writing should be enjoyable.  Not just for you but for others in your life – family, friends, fellow writers.  

I’m still learning to balance my need to write and the needs of my family.  This six weeks has made me realize just how much of my time I spent on my writing (after my regular 40 hour a week job) and not with my family.  My New Year’s resolution is to find a better balance, one that satisfies me and my loved ones.

How do you find balance for all that you love – whether it be writing, crafting, or rock climbing?