Those footsteps belonged to Pamela. She had been thinking. She thought best when she could walk in the sand in the cool of the night. There was something about the feel of her bare feet and the sand of the beach that helped her focus on whatever was troubling her. Tonight she really needed to think.

Pamela was fifty-three years old and had never been married. She was making footsteps in the sand because she was trying to make a decision. The decision for her was to continue looking for her special man or to accept that fact she would never have someone love her the way so many other women are loved. She was tired of trying to decide.

As she pondered the choice she would have to make she noticed another set of footsteps

These footsteps belonged to Andy. He had been thinking, he thought best when he could walk in the sand in the cool of the night. There was something about the feel of his bare feet and the sand of the beach that helped him focus on whatever was troubling him. Tonight he had really been thinking.

There was something in the moonlight that drew her attention up the sand a little way further. The man that was making the footsteps Andy was walking just under a tree. Could it be the moonlight? It looked like he was a knight. Maybe she was supposed to guide her knight to where she was. She wasn’t willing to take any chances. She hurried up to him making half footsteps in the sand. She caught up to him and did something this shy girl had never done before in her life. She introduced herself. As she introduced herself she mispronounced her own name. She had never done that before ever. Even in the moonlight she felt sure that Andy could see and feel her blush. Andy laughed for the first time in a very long time. Andy introduced himself.

He told Pamela about why he was walking on the sand; about his life about his career and a whole lot more that he didn’t know he had to tell. Pamela in turn told him about her family, friends and career. She told him about so much but not about why she was making footsteps on the sand. He noticed she was cold. He draped his coat around her shoulders. She had never felt such caring by any man. She was certain that Andy was her knight in shining armor.

As Andy put his coat around Pamela’s shoulder the future looked better to him than it had in a very long time. When Andy and Pamela made footsteps together they both noticed another set of footsteps in the sand. They wondered whom they belonged to and if that person was like them, making footprints in the sand in the cool of the night because something was troubling them. He wondered if they were, what might be troubling that person.

These footsteps belonged to Becky. She had been thinking. She thought best when he could walk in the sand in the cool of the night. There was something about the feel of her bare feet and the sand of the beach that helped him focus on whatever was troubling him. Tonight she had really been thinking.

Becky and her husband had an almost perfect life. They were deeply in love. They had wonderful jobs, a beautiful home, nice cars, close friends and family. She was especially close to her younger sister Angie. Though she was two years older than her sister they were like twins. They shared the same likes and dislikes. They had an almost perfect life except that Becky was unable to have children. At dinner tonight Angie made a proposal to Becky that even now Becky could hardly take in. Angie told Becky that she loved her sister so much that she wanted to give birth to four children for them.

Becky was so overwhelmed by her sister’s unselfish offer that she burst from the table out of her house down the trail to the sand where she was making her footsteps even now. If her sister had offered to have one or two babies that would be one thing but four was way more than Becky could ask of her sister. The thought of having the sound of laughter from four children at her home sent shivers of delight to Becky even as she thought of it. She knew that even though Angie enjoyed being pregnant, giving birth four times to children that would not be your own was too much to ask.

As Becky walked around a curve in the path there stood Angie leaning up against a tree waiting for her. Becky asked her how she knew where she would be. Angie said “Becky you walk the same way in the sand since we were little girls. It wasn’t hard to find you.” Angie said “Becky you are a perfect sister and my best friend. You are a perfect wife and aunt. All you need to be complete is to be a mother and I can help you with that. I just know you would make a perfect mother.” Becky said, “Angie your offer is so sweet and so wonderful but have you thought about the pain of being in child birth four times and giving up the babies each time?” Angie said do you remember when we were kids and I thought I could swim but couldn’t?” Becky nodded her head. Angie said, “ You saved my life. This is over due payback. Will you let me do it?” Becky overcome with emotion could only nod her head again while she hugged her sister tightly.

As she did so she looked down at another set of footsteps in the sand. She wondered whom they belonged to and if that person was like her, making footprints in the sand in the cool of the night because something was troubling them. She wondered if they were, what might be troubling that person.

 These footsteps belonged to Dan. Dan had been thinking, he thought best when he could walk in the sand in the cool of the night. There was something about the feel of his bare feet and the sand of the beach that helped him focus on whatever was troubling him. Tonight he really needed to think.

His only son died six months ago. He was only six. He had to be strong. He had a wife and three daughters. He grew up knowing men rarely showed emotion. He knows how broken up his wife is but it is hard to reach out. How could his wife love him any more? How could his daughters even think he cared for them at all when he had let their little brother die. He needed to reach out to his wife and to his daughters but how? Tears that had needed to fall but had not fallen before fell now.  For the first time, he allowed himself to feel the nearly overwhelming grief that the death of a child brings to a parent’s heart. He was lost in his grief

As his tears fell his head was bent down so low he easily saw another set of footsteps in the sand. He wondered whom they belonged to and if that person was like him, making footsteps in the sand in the cool of the night because something was troubling them. He wondered if they were, what might be troubling that person.

Those footsteps belonged to Grace. Grace had been thinking. There was something about the feel of her bare feet and the sand of the beach that helped her focus on whatever was troubling her. Tonight she really needed to think.

Six months ago Grace’s only son had died in a tragic accident near Turner Field in Atlanta. He was only six. He was with her husband when he died. It was an accident that no one could have helped. Grace has had to be strong for her three daughters. Her husband has grown so distant from her and their daughters since her son’s death. She thinks he believes that he was responsible for their son’s death. She knows her husband was not responsible at all.

For six months she has had to grieve alone. She needed her husband to love her and to grieve her and in six months he has grown even more distant. Once again she allowed herself to feel the nearly overwhelming grief that the death of a child brings to a parent’s heart. Once again she was lost in her grief Her eyes fill with tears and they spill over on to the sand.

She allowed her feet to take her where they would. Without knowing it she came parallel to another set of feet making footsteps in the sand. They were Dan’s feet the father of the six year old who died under the wheel of a bus near Turner Field in Atlanta. She was the little boys mother. As she came next to Dan, his hand almost on it’s own found hers and held it tightly.

Dan through tears looked at his wife and asked her to forgive him. Grace told Dan there is nothing to forgive. You had nothing to do with our son’s death. Dan you are a good man a wonderful father and wonderful husband but for the last six months the girls and I feel like we have lost you. Grieve with us, forgive yourself and love us back because we haven’t stopped loving you and never will. We will never stop grieving over our son but let us do it together.  Dan asked, “Do you really believe that?  Do the girls?” Grace said, “We do.” Dan cried.

They stopped making footsteps in the sand and held tightly to each other as they did so Grace noticed another set of footsteps in the sand. They wondered whom they belonged to and if that person was like them, making footprints in the sand in the cool of the night because something was troubling them. He wondered if they were, what might be troubling that person.