Cracked Heels

As I was walking through my home today I felt a pain in my heel. Not a sharp pain or a serious pain, but a familiar pain. I've had this pain before. Immediately I knew what it was. A quick look confirmed it. I had a dry, deeply cracked heel. At once I started chastising myself for going so long without a pedicure. But I'm a new mom, I reasoned, I have other more important priorities right now. True enough, but honestly I've been intending to give myself a mini-pedi for a couple of weeks now. Somehow I just never got to it. So tonight, after getting my wee one down for the night I began. As I sat there soaking my feet in the warm, soapy water, I couldn't imagine what would actually keep me from doing something as nice as this little personal care act. Actually, I knew what it was - neglect and procrastination.

I began pondering this thought and I saw that this little incident of a cracked heel could really be a metaphor for so many other things in life. In what other ways can neglect and procrastination become cracks that hurt us? In relationships? Certainly. In responsibilities? Absolutely. In not being the best us that we can be? Without a doubt.

If I neglect my husband or my daughter, our relationship would definitely suffer. It would cause pain and anger and we could become just another statistic. It would be a sad situation all the way around, and that is not okay. If I neglect my relationship with God, it would be flat and one-sided. He will always love me and be there for me, but I would be detached, I would suffer. That is not okay. If I neglect my 86 year old grandmother, whom I love very much, and procrastinate the long drive to go see her, I may not see her again. And that is not okay.

If I neglect my responsibilities, others will find me to be irresponsible, untrustworthy and lazy. And that is not okay. If I neglect myself (heels included), I will live a life that is substandard, I will cause myself pain. And that is not okay. It is imperative that I choose to love and take care of myself, eat well, always continue to learn and grow, and to be the absolute best me that I can be.

Life happens, it's true. But life is going to happen with or without our participation. It is up to us to choose whether or not we are going to be active participants. It is up to us to determine if we live a life filled with neglect and procrastination or care and action.

"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." ~ Deut. 30:15,19

(C) 2008 Tracy Keck