“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
~Dr. Seuss
The little girl who wore this very shoe pictured in my hand is graduating from college Saturday.
My daughter is now a young woman about to embark on a new sales career in the corporate world. I expect she will now be wearing heels with her business attire.
Like many parents of college graduates, I am in slight disbelief that twenty years passed so quickly. My daughter expedited the journey by completing four years of college in three, which is no surprise given that she was always a precocious child and go-getter.
The initial, gut-wrenching “letting go” began when she went abroad in high school, once to Spain and a second time to work at an orphanage in Africa for three weeks. When she left for college, I could not walk by her room without crying. Other parents share similar stories of the sadness felt initially when a child leaves home.
Now, I accept my daughter is continuing on her own journey of discovery, creating a path based on her uniqueness.
My dream for her and all graduates is that they find the new “shoe” (life choice, both in career and relationships) that fits well. Adding their own style, may they know the fit is right by tuning into their own feelings of comfort, ease, passion and purpose.
As it was with the baby shoe, I hope they always leave enough wiggle room for growth.
The photo of Gail holding her daughter’s black velvet baby shoe was taken by Barbara Hopkinson, a dear friend who is also a mother.
Gail Kauranen Jones is an intuitive coach, gifted wordsmith and inspiring teacher who has been leading others through transformation for more than twenty years. She is the author of two books, Cancer as a Love Story: Developing the Mindset for Living, and To Hell and Back…Healing Your Way through Transition. Both books were met with rave reviews on Amazon and elsewhere.
She recently appeared as a guest “worthiness coach” on CBS TV’s award-winning talk show The Doctors and on Sirius FM Radio. Her articles and “tips” on worthiness have also appeared several times in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper.
She has taught many leading-edge workshops at top spas and wellness centers. She now leads Zoom group coaching programs and is a guest speaker at many related events.
Gail lives a passionate and simple life writing, hiking, connecting in meaningful ways, aligning in joyful collaboration and thriving in nature.