Alesa & Her Mom Doris Lewis

As a child my mother had a severe limp, she had polio when she was 12 and it cause one foot to be shorter than the other, thus causing her to limp. It also caused her to favor one of her feet when going up or down stairs. She would always take her right foot to the first step then bring the left foot to the same step, then pause, before proceeding on to the next step with her right foot where she would then start the process all over again. Funny thing is, as children we learn how to walk up/down steps by watching the person leading us and it wasn’t until I was probably 10 yrs old or so that I realize I walked up and down steps the same way my mother did. Like a handicap person.  Although it was no problem for me to take one step at a time right, left, right, left, step after step. I simply didn’t do it till I realized I was walking like the person leading me so many years ago. To this day I catch myself walking like I have a handicap it is at that time,  I have to focus to actually walk correctly up and down steps.

This got me thinking, isn’t that like our life. We followed those who taught us and those we looked up to as kids in our choices, idea’s and convictions. Our role models led and directed us to the future choices we made. It is the same thing for us as adults. We are role models and leaders to the youth around us. I think it impedes us to assure that we do not lead the generation that is following us in the wrong direction. We do not teach them our handicap way of life. We all made mistakes and that alone requires us to assure we are leading the next generation to a higher standard. It requires us to be aware of every move we make, because our children are watching every step we take and they are following in our footsteps. How are you walking today?