This message brought to you by Amber's Feet...and Amber

I love being naked. I really do. It's a great feeling to have true contact with the world around you, hence why I was excited when Amber learned that today is One Day Without Shoes. Today I would see the world...feel the earth for the first time in months. She grabbed her mother's birthday card and off we went.

The door shut behind us as I landed on the sidewalk. Oh...my...goodness! It was positively freezing out there! Rain splashed up around me, contributing to the ice-cold burn. (I didn't even know it was possible for cold to burn. Did you?).

Step. 
Step. 
Squish.
Oh yuck! I sure hoped that she planned to wash that off of me.

Step.
Step.
Hop.
SPLASH.
I was cold. I was wet. And I was in pain. Then something else grabbed my attention. "Look!" I called out. "You see that, Amber? Those feet ahead of us are dressed in cozy boots. Couldn't you have done that for me? I would have settled for flip flops so long as I didn't have to touch this horrible ground." But she didn't hear me. The whole trip was maybe 100 feet, but it was the longest journey of my life! Forget what I said about being naked...it's not very fun. 

*     *     *

Can you imagine what it would be like to not have shoes? I can't. Twice I have taken the walk barefoot and today I attempted One Day Without Shoes. Nothing feels better than putting on your shoes afterwards. If you don't believe me, walk barefoot down your own street. Is this something that you would do again by choice? Probably not. There are, however, millions of children who do not have that choice- they must go barefoot. But purchasing a pair of shoes will allow someone to have a pair of their own.