When I was a little girl my father would come home from work every
night exhausted and would sit in his easy chair. I would run and get
his slippers and take off his shoes for him. It was just something I
did. He didn't ask me to but it was a chance to interact with him and
it was special to me. My dad was so funny about his feet. Anybody could
come to visit us and the next thing you know he would take off his
shoes and show them his feet and say "Look at these pretty feet!" I
think half the time he just did it to embarrass me.


As he grew older they weren't exactly pretty anymore. His vision
diminished and I continued to take care of my father's feet....
trimming his toenails, slathering them with lotion... etc etc. My
sister used to laugh and say," I am glad you are taking care of his
feet because his feet are nasty!" But to me, they were beautiful. My
dad and his friend " Red" Lanthorne used to go out and faithfully visit
members of our church as well as those who had never heard the gospel
message. Even on days when he had worked an extra busy day at the
office. After my mother died he continued to visit others with his
friend, Fred Boggs, and others. Later when he moved to the Baptist
Village in Erlanger, Kentucky he would do the same thing even though he
was unable to see very well.


When I was in college I actually attended a Grace Brethren Church
for a time period and came to understand the Biblical significance of
the practice of foot washing. After my father was diagnosed with cancer
the job of taking care of his feet took on more significance to me. On
the night that he died... that was the last thing I did for him. I
clipped his nails... and rubbed lotion on his feet for him. Even though
he was not able to talk... he did make a sound that I felt showed he
was comforted by the act and his lips formed a simple smile. There was
little else I could do to help him. But it was one thing I could do to
show how much I loved him. And when I think of him today.... I will
always remember my father's beautiful feet!