Take Nothing But Photos…Leave Nothing But FootPrints

We are shaped by what enters our hearts…strengthened by what we release…and made beautiful by the weathering we’ve lived through. If you’re stepping forward from a tender place, may you feel the quiet courage of your own resilience today.

Last week, as we shared a slice of apple pie, for a brief moment we enjoyed the scent wafting from the oven and savored the warm memories. We discovered how little things bring back memories… sometimes with smiles and other times with tears.

Sometimes the same memory evokes a different response at a different time. The pattern remains the same. A circle has no beginning or end once it has been established.

No sooner had I gently tapped the button to publish that post, my heart and mind began to walk through our mysterious but ever‑joyful Valley. Amazingly, each view of this valley reveals something new, and whether passing or lasting, it becomes a quiet part of my memory — and sometimes even leaves footprints, or should I say in this case, paw prints on my heart.

This week’s puzzle piece does not yet reveal the next personality, but having the advantage of being the creator of this world, I could see our next friend padding her way through this piece of the valley.

Sometimes I see her running exuberantly, relishing a moment of pure, blissful freedom. Other times, she moves slowly, purposefully absorbing all the valley can reveal in one moment. In my imagination, I can see the blades of grass flattening under her paws, as well as the temporary paw print she leaves upon the path.

These are moments of quiet contemplation… a developing sense of who she is and who her heart calls her to be.

Some encounters startle her, or maybe leave her a little disappointed, but each moment of the journey has its purpose. It is all part of life experience.

Maybe you will agree that life’s challenges have taught us the most. Something hard or challenging is remembered… while the easy moments are often easily forgotten.

Have you ever automatically completed a task, and then asked yourself whether or not you performed a certain step?

I’m not talking about forgetfulness. I am referring to those automatic motions that happen spontaneously, almost reflexively. For example, while driving in the right lane on a highway, it becomes commonplace for the driver to watch for vehicles merging from an on‑ramp. Years ago, I remember having this discussion with my sister about each of our daily commutes.

During that conversation, we realized that we always check — but only noticed the habit after the fact, when a conscious thought suddenly surfaced asking, “Did I check for merging vehicles?”

Even though a footprint disappears, it can make a lasting impression.

Our next friend from the valley experiences joy as well as startling moments as she wanders those valley paths. So can we. As we wander through the valley we refer to as life, it is sometimes forgotten that we have the beautiful gift of making choices.

Beguiling in many ways, choices are gifts to use. Just like any tool, there is a learning curve. Sometimes we hit the nail, and sometimes we miss.

Life is the greatest teacher, and sometimes the hardest lessons teach us the most important skills. Our response — our choice — is what matters.

The world can be absolutely beautiful, but it can also be unattractive — not on its own, but by the choices that are made. Every choice we make has its own footprint, and if we choose to let someone else’s footprint leave a mark upon our hearts, we also must choose how to use that footprint.

I once read a quotation — I’m not even sure to whom it belongs — but I will share it here as best as I can remember it:
“Those who tolerate intolerable circumstances are not victims. They are volunteers.”

Those are powerful words. Thinking about individuals who have been victims of horrible situations, I wondered if such a person might be offended by them. Yet, as I continued to think about this quotation, a clear vision was presented.

It is true that bad things can happen to good people. A person may not choose to have that event present in their life, but it’s essential that each person recognize that there is ultimately one power… love. When bad things happen, and we constantly view ourselves as the victim, we choose to lose the power to love ourselves — and consequently become unable to love others. It is in this moment that we volunteer to remain a victim. Make a new choice.

Sometimes we choose well. When the choice leads to a positive consequence for ourselves and/or others, we have chosen well.

Other times, our choice results in a negative consequence for ourselves or others. In those moments, we know that we have not chosen well.

With every choice we make, we must always remember that we can choose again. We can choose to be in control of our own responses, to our own choices, and especially our response to the choices others have made. We can’t change another’s choice, but we control our response to all choices.

Choose your footprints. Decide which footprints you will allow others to leave upon your heart. Determine how those footprints will shape or break your life. Footprints are fleeting, but the images of those moments are what you choose to keep… or not.

You can delete the images left by negative choices. You can learn from every mistake and make a new choice that leads to positive consequences. You can use the gift of choice to love yourself, and not allow others — nor circumstances — to have power over you.

When we hold on to negative images, we give power to those who have hurt us. That image becomes the scab… its presence encourages us to pick at it so that the wound reopens and, maybe, never heals. Paraphrasing an Amish saying: forgiving allows a wound to heal. Forgetting erases the scar.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Sometimes I’ve been the victim, and there have been times that I have volunteered to remain a victim.

I am blessed to have grown up with a loving family who taught by example how to forgive. Forgetting takes a lot longer, and is the greater challenge… one worth taking if we really want to be free of another’s hold on our lives.

Take nothing but photos. Leave nothing but footprints. What images do you choose to keep in your heart? What footprint do you choose to leave behind? We don’t go through this life without some regret, but remember: regret cannot change the past. It challenges our present and determines the state of our future. Choose well — but remember, if you haven’t chosen well, you can always make another choice.

Your puzzle piece awaits you. If you have gone to the Secret Garden to receive your puzzle grid, you can place this piece in spot number 25. Just tap the image below to be taken to the treasure chest of puzzle pieces.

Little paw prints are walking through this valley…making their way to your heart.

Story card number six is also waiting for you. Take the time to read the rhyme. It always leaves a hint or two. One gentle touch on the image below will take you to the magical storybook where you will find your latest story card.

The valley is officially alive. Won’t you come inside?