New shoes

New shoes

“You’ve got big shoes to fill,” they say. 

And you make the mistake

of listening.

You try to fill those shoes,

but they are snug

in all the wrong places. 

You squeeze into them

and stand,

desperate to find your footing. 

Unbalanced, you trip, stumble.

Over and over

again.

Until one day you pause

and ask why.

Why force yourself into a mold

you were never meant to fit?

Why not design your own shoes,

walk your own path?

So you do. 

You make the shoes, 

lace them up -

- by yourself, all on your own. 

The fit isn’t perfect, just yet,

but you grow into them. 

You are slow, at first,

then you quicken the pace -

- you steady yourself,

moving briskly, forward.

And when you look behind,

you are not alone.

They are there, 

walking. 

Following your lead. 

“You’ve got big shoes to fill,” they said.

And maybe

they weren’t so mistaken.