Ponderings and the Power of Shoes

As my close friends know, I am pensive and full of worry these days. My beloved Shiloh is at an equine clinic in Muleshoe. While there have been encouraging signs, he is my boy and I fret until he is safely home.
On top of this worry, someone has discovered that I no longer accept anonymous comments and has opened a private blogger profile to continue to leave me comments that are....hmmm, meant to be hurtful, while invoking Christian beliefs. The latest has come under the blogger ID with a Christian reference for the name. This is sad.
But it would be an inexcusable condition of the human soul to dwell on negativity, to wrap its toxins around me and let it seep in. In the deepest part of my heart, I know who I am , and so does God.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
— John Wooden

So, while I know reputations in a small town can be important, I don't think they are important to me. The people who know me and are truly concerned for me, talk to me and write to me without the shroud of anonymity clouding the issue. Those are opinions that matter, those are the voices that I pause to reflect on.
So, mystery commenter, be warned. I am moderating all comments, those that persist in hiding their identity, well that tells me they have some thing to hide, maybe the motives behind the remarks? I don't know, I never will. I am fine with that, but I will not allow the comments to taint my blog. Please find something else to do.


SHOES!!!!
Who would have thought that a bag of hand-me-down shoes had the power to chase worries and tears away?
Caitlyn, upon finding that Shiloh had been transported, was very upset. She and Shiloh have been growing closer these last few months. Cait feels comfortable riding solo around the house and through the pastures. He greets her approaching figure as he would greet mine.
Caitlyn was curled up on the couch, watching a Disney soccer movie, but the face was sad, and tear tracks still marked her cheeks.
I was feeling badly too, but I grabbed one of the huge bags of hand-me-downs that my mother brought back from my sister.
My sister has twin girls, Kate and Kimberly. They are dear sweet children, but very very different. Kate prefers nondescript clothes, unisex in cut and style. Rarely will she indulge in anything overly girlish.
Kimberly is a fashionista. She would change three times a day if she could.
This bag opened to reveal shoes....Kimberly shoes.
Sandals, slippers, sneakers, flats and wedges. They were all there. At least half a dozen fashion flip flops.
Caitlyn took the bag I gave her and wonder spread on her face. Gone was the sadness and replacing it was a look of astonishment.
She tried them all on, one after another. She walked back and forth, she posed, she danced.
I watched each one, knowing no matter how seasonal or slightly small it might be, she would keep it and cherish it.
She gathered them all lovingly in her arms and took them to a spot in her closet.
This morning she came down in shoes (and outfit) that weren't suitable to our two-faced weather. I sent her back up. She came back in the perfect combination, with a pair of new (to her) shoes. It helped her last night, and it helped her get to school this morning, as she wanted to stay home and wait for news.
Ahhhh, the power of shoes.

And how was your day?