International Children's Day -- Bilaal Rajan's Barefoot Challenge

Thank you Bilaal for giving us something to think about. I took your suggestion to try the Barefoot Challenge to observe International Children's Day, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORB0AFWeQ4Y).

Walking around barefoot on in my own home and yard on a beatiful day isn't quite something I can pretend was any kind of sacrifice. What this experiment did do was it made me very aware of how much difference there is between "when" and "if ever." It was easy for me to put off until tomorrow what I need to wear shoes for, like going into a bank or government office or even a department store. I decided to wait until tomorrow also to do some transplanting in the garden that I had been thinking about, rather than trying to force a spade intot the ground with my unprotected sole. I did notice when I walked on the street that the asphalt was almost unbearably hot so I jumped back into the car - because I had one to jump back into.

This experience today helped me to think about what I couldn't do today, but will do tomorrow "when" I can wear shoes. It helped me to realize what I might not get to do if I had to wonder "if ever" I would have shoes.

Thank you Bilaal Rajan for this simple challenge to help us realize how lucky we are and to help us think of others who are less fortunate and especially for helping us think of ways to get shoes to children who will love to have them.

Congratulations and thank you for the inspiration to others too who have met the challenge and learned from it also. Baring our soles today has hopefully helped us take steps toward finding ourselves. We will be better prepared in days to come, with or without shoes of our own, to choose which is the right way to go when we come to a fork in the road, or to blaze a new trail if there isn't already a path that leading to a better world for everyone.

Thank you so much Bilaal on International Children's Day for helping us find our way to what really matters.

Ardently,

Kathleen