Miranda Topeka was facing her day as she has so many times before. Nothing special, just an ordinary day with not much going on. Bills paid, gifts wrapped, and a place to eat and sleep. From all outside appearances, Miranda was doing well. Something kept “eating at her,” “gnawing” and trying to forget the annoyance seemed impossible. At work she laughed, smiled, and tried to go “above and beyond expectations,” but inside there was an emptiness of “mass proportions.” Miranda tried medications, positive thinking classes, and medication but still felt empty, tired, and lost.
One morning Miranda got up early and went for a nature walk. The air was crisp, clean, and a soft breeze touched her face. She walked around the lake and saw the reflection of the trees, clouds, and greenery in the lake. Miranda remarked to herself, “The ducks and geese are happy playing in the water. How I wish I was as carefree and happy as the ducks and animals surrounding the lake. Why does this annoying feeling kept coming back and ruining my morning solstice?” Miranda sat down on the tall grass and watched the family of ducks and had a moment of “epiphany.” What if what was irritating and invading her life could be in the shoes she was expected to walk in that weren’t a good fit? What if they were “someone elses shoes” that she was never met to walk in?
Miranda Topeka looked at the shoes and noticed a sharp smooth pebble hiding in the toe. She remarked to herself, “So this is the reason that I have not felt relaxed or comfortable. Walking in the shoes I was not met to fill has taken away my joy and peace of mind.” Miranda knew what she had to do and found the nearest garbage can, threw her “uncomfortable” shoes away, and walked barefoot on the grass. For the first time in years Miranda felt free, happy, and comfortable with who she was. Sometimes the feeling or emotion, “that is driving us crazy,” is easier to understand than we realize. It could be as obvious as wearing shoes, we were not meant to wear, or the “pebble in our shoes.”
