Nicci Coertze
May 23, 20192 min
Your little feet will never be adored and kissed and lovingly stared at by your doting parents
Your little feet will never excitedly kick imaginary bubbles to your siblings’ great delight
They won’t receive butterfly kisses from your daddy and get tickled by your mommy just to hear your gurgling giggles
They won’t unsteadily try to give their first steps whilst everyone who loves you stands with baited breath for that magical milestone
They won’t respond to the unfamiliar feel of warm sand and the cool water of an endless ocean on your first beach holiday
They won’t be covered up in snugly socks and gently tucked underneath a warm blanket on a cold winter’s evening
Your little feet will not be dirty little feet that played in rain puddles and splashed in mud only to be washed in warm, soapy water to remove all traces of a day well lived
Your small feet won’t struggle to fit into the harshness of a new leather shoe on your first day of school
Your feet won't touch the freshly cut grass, sprinting and leaping over hurdles to the sound of your classmates cheering and singing victory songs
Your feet won’t wear shiny new school shoes for your scary first day of high school and the first steps towards becoming a young adult
Your feet won’t be gently soaked, scrubbed and your toenails painted a pretty pink at your sweet 16 pamper party
Your feet won’t be wearing the daintiest pair of silver shoes for your long-awaited school dance.
They won’t look pretty in leather sandals on your first day of varsity
They won’t get tired of walking the length and breadth of campus only to dance till the light of day at a student dance
They won’t be put into a pair of shoes that was especially chosen for your graduation - a day shared by your proud parents and your suddenly grown up friends
Your feet won’t be forced into a pair of black high heels for your first day working as a candidate attorney, or comfortable walkers for your first day as a nurse or pretty pumps for your calling as a teacher
Your feet won’t be gently caressed by your fiancé, playfully pulling your toes, telling you your pinkie toe is adorable, even if it is a bit skew
Your bronzed feet won’t be clad in snow white satin slippers to fit your beautiful gown on your wedding day, walking beside your proud, emotional daddy down the aisle.
No.
Instead, your tiny footprints are forever on a piece of cardboard and pictures of your perfect, newborn angel feet are lovingly caressed by your parents’ eyes – their hearts aching with longing for all the 'could have beens...'