One of my first cats, a giant gray tabby, was named Toes. Many years later my kids and I painted our toes (not our nails, our toes). I envisioned having a big party with all kinds of paints and everyone creating masterpieces or whimsical design on their toes. Crazy? Perhaps. Certainly. Of course. That’s just me. And for some reason, I like toes.

Today I found this photo of my son’s foot. I eventually noticed the way the water pressed itself around each toe…an “impression”…which led me to question myself, “What kind of impression are you making?” When I press myself into this life I am blessed with, what squeezes out around the edges? On days I am tired, do my children see my grumpy, impatient edges, or do they see me trying to be kind despite how I feel? When I am engrossed in conversation with another friend, do I squeeze out “it’s all about me” as I talk their ear off instead of listening, asking about them? When my husband comes home from work and I am thinking about how great it is that he can take over some of the parenting, do I still welcome him home with love and warmth, concerned about him and HIS day?

I know what I want these answers to be. And I know what they really are. I realize that I need to work on my “impressions”…not the kind that help me appear to be something I am not, but the kind that make me stronger, and encourage, nurture and inspire those around me.

So if you happen to see me staring at your toes, you will have to wonder whether I am just admiring them, or if I am working on making a better “impression.”