My Shoes

I am cursed with being overly sentimental about things. And today (call me crazy) I found myself being sentimental over my old blue crocks. They aren't as cute and bright as they used to be. The tread is gone. There are drips of paint dried on them now. All of my jibbits but one have been lost or broken. And until I hosed them off this evening, they had a bit of dirt, mulch and cow manure on them.
I got these shoes probably 4 years ago from the Jasper Memorial gift shop. I bought them on a whim with a co-worker. She got a pink pair. We thought they'd be something fun to wear with our scrubs at work. Prior to that everyone wore white, more traditional nursing shoes. We caused a bit of a stir with our silly shoes but we liked them and continued to wear them.
These shoes have seen many lives come in to this world and they've been there as a few tiny lives have ended too soon. These shoes have seen me giggle with friends,cry, complain, be frustrated and furious. These shoes have walked dim hallways at 3am to help a mom nurse her new baby. They have run to a labor room to help another nurse in a bad situation with a laboring patient. These shoes have seen a lot of things....
But like me, these shoes are retired from the world of labor and delivery. Or are we? Now these shoes have been thrown on to go out and check on momma cows and goats with their babies. Life in a way isn't so different.
March brings my favorite time in living on the farm, the babies are born! For the next few months these shoes will be busy making sure all of the calves and goat kids make it into the world and thrive. And occasionally these shoes will still see me shed a tear for a life lost. But for the most part me and my shoes will be happy watching life renew itself.