These Boots

I pulled a jacket out of the closet this morning, and before I could close the door, my dusty hiking boots caught my eye.
Maybe it’s the trees changing color or the nip in the morning air, but I feel the pull to be places I’ve never been.
My heart feels like it’s banging against the walls of my chest begging me to break free from the routine, and those boots are the keys to my freedom.
I close my eyes, shut the door, and load the kids into the van for the drive to school.
Since becoming a mom, I struggle with that pull.
I feel guilty when I put those boots on because it means I had to ask someone else to take my kids.
But leaving them in the closet? That doesn’t feel right either.
Those boots have been a part of making me…ME.
You see, those boots have followed in the footprints of the men who taught me to be a strong woman.
Those boots have rested on rocks while I talked about life with my dad.
Those boots have slipped on hillsides where I learned to get tough, dig deeper, and work harder.
Those boots have carried me to places where God has worked on my heart.
Those boots have kicked up by a campfire while I laughed with loved ones about the adventures we've had and the journeys we long to take.
How do I just leave them in the closet?
How do I just skip something that means so much to me?
I look in the rearview mirror, and I see my three wild kids.
My heart begins to calm as I imagine the bigger picture.
Someday, my boots will cut the trail for smaller boots to follow.
Smaller boots will rest on the rocks next to mine and ask me about life.
My boots will hold steady, while little legs learn their strength.
Smaller boots will kick up next to mine by the fire and dream of the adventures to come.
My boots will be there as those smaller boots learn who they are.

My boots might stay in the closet this year, but they won’t stay there long.