I am wearing a pair of shoes
They are ugly shoes
Uncomfortable shoes
I hate my shoes
Each day I wear them and each day I wish I had another pair
Some days my shoes hurt so bad that I do not think I can take another step
Yet, I continue to wear them
I get funny looks wearing these shoes
They are looks of sympathy
I can tell in other's eyes that they are glad they are my shoes and not theirs
They never talk about my shoes
To learn how awful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable
To truly understand these shoes you must walk in them
But, once you put them on, you can never take them off
I now realise that I am not the only one who wears these shoes
There are many pairs in this World
Some parents are like me and ache daily as they try to walk in them
Some have learned how to walk in them so that they don't hurt quite so much
Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by before they think about how much they hurt
No parent deserves to wear these shoes
Yet, because of these shoes I am a stronger person
These shoes have given me the strength to face anything
They have made me who I am
I will forever walk in the shoes of a parent who has lost a child