11/27/2025
Shoes on a Post
Along the path between the two still ponds,
I found a pair of tiny shoes—
white once, now weather-worn,
standing bravely on a wooden post
like a quiet little monument.
Mud on their toes, creases in their sides…
they whispered of puddles splashed
and short, wobbly strides.
A toddler’s whole world tucked
into two small, faithful shoes.
I lifted my camera,
but my heart got there first.
Because once, my babies wore shoes like these—
tiny and adventurous,
always running ahead of my breath.
And then came the ache I always know is there.
The sudden sting,
the welling-up of love and loss intertwined.
For these little shoes reminded me
of my sweet Tristen—
forever 18 months, forever loved,
forever missed.
So I snapped the photo
with tears slipping down my cheeks,
letting the moment hold me
the way I wish I could still hold him.
Two little shoes on a post.
A reminder that love doesn’t fade,
memory doesn’t dim,
and even on an ordinary walking path,
grief can bloom into something holy.
