I went for a walk with our dog one snowy morning and as I was walking with her she stopped. I turned around to see what was holding her up and I saw our footprints in the snow. Yes, I have seen many of footprints left behind in the snow before, but this morning as I stared at my footprints I couldn’t help but wonder what prints my life is leaving behind as I go forward.

As we walked I was noticing the type of ground we were walking on and what our footprints looked like behind us. I had a realization that it does not only matter if we leave footprints behind us as we travel this life, but also what matters is the path we walk on.

See on the dry paved ground where we walked when I looked back there were no footprints. While I looked at the ground all I could think was if we walk on an easy path of life and just glide through, not truly living it, we are letting life go by and there will be no footprints to be seen. There is no impact that will be made.

We continued our walk as the snow came down and stuck to the ground. The path we were walking on now was fresh shallow snow that let us leave markings of faint footprints. The thought that came to me is if we are walking down a path of life that is shallow and just for ourselves the footprints that will be there will fade quickly because there was no depth to them. The steps we walked were just for ourselves and others will not be impacted by them.

Then we came across a section that seemed everybody in the neighborhood had walked that morning. Foot prints were all around and ours got lost among the many. By looking down you wouldn’t be able to tell if we were coming or going. Sometimes we can choose a path that gets so busy, hectic and complicated that we can lose our focus and even ourselves. We don’t remember whether we are coming, going or why we are even where we are at that moment in life. If we do not notice where we are and have a clear vision will our footprints be seen?

We were now coming to the end of our walk as we were on our way home. The snow was coming down harder and we had to walk in it to get home. We were walking in fresh clean untrodden snow. There were no other footprints just mine and my pup going in one direction. Our footprints were deep, clean, and with a clear definition of our path. As a mother I have watched my little ones walk behind both my husband and I and have placed their small feet in our footprints in the snow. As they follow our path they step in one footprint and then another letting them guide them in their direction. When this came to mind I can’t help but think I want my footsteps to be taken deliberately, carefully and deeply.

In this one life we all have different paths to walk and different footprints to leave behind us but we all leave traces of ourselves with those around us. Have you ever stopped to look at your footprints long enough to ponder what tracks you are leaving behind you as you walk down the path you are on?

~ Mandi