When Laura needed to think, 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.

At forty-three years of age Laura knew very soon she would be blind. Not legally blind she already was that but very soon, with in weeks she would be completely sightless. She grieved for her loss. She grieved over knowing that she may have seen her last sunset, or her last painting. She grieved that she would not see her five wonderful children evolve in to adulthood, parenthood and her grandchildren. She grieved for the beauty that she would no longer see. She grieved for the smiles she would no longer see. She grieved for the loss of seeing the love in her husbands eyes and for no longer being able to see his twinkling eyes. As she walked in the sand and thought of her loss her tears fell freely.

As her tears fell they seemed to help her vision in a way that medical doctors never could. They helped her to see not what she was losing but what she had to be thankful for. She might be losing her vision but she would always know beauty. The beauty she would always know could be found in the love of her husband and her children. She would know better how beauty was felt as much as it was seen. She would always know beauty in the sounds of an orchestra or of a guitar. She would miss seeing smiles but she would always know the beauty of hearts that created those smiles. She would miss seeing her children grow but she would more than ever feel their love for her grow as they did.

As she continued to walk her tears continued to fall. She realized that at first her tears fell for selfishness but now they fell in gratitude. When she began her walk in the sand her thoughts were on what she was losing. She would still grieve for her loss but along with her grief her heart was filled to overflowing for all that she had. She even thought of how her life could go in a different direction as a result of her vision loss. She could help others facing similar experiences. As her tears stopped falling she was glad for the walk in the sand as it helped her to see that life is to short to spend much time on that which we have lost.

As Laura struggled with her decision she noticed another set of footprints 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 Andy. When Andy needed to think, 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.

His beloved wife had left him a year ago. She had been his constant companion for a few months over thirty-seven years but now she was gone and he was all-alone. Five years ago she was given a death sentence. As she did everything else in her life she put her heart in to her fight. After a five year battle with cancer the last of her life left her fingers even as he was holding her hands.

When they met he told the love of his life that they were two of a kind. Neither one of them had any other family. They needed each other oh so much. Since they both loved children he just knew that their home would soon be filled with children but sadly that was not to be. Time had passed so fast. He just knew he would be the first to go but they weren’t even old. There were lots of years ahead and then there were none.

He was not a man who had ever questioned anything in his life. What was was. He had accepted that until his wonderful wife had breathed her last breath. He had never ever cried in his life until his adored wife had died. Since then he cried buckets. He felt so lonely, so alone and so lost. He wondered if his heart would ever stop aching. He wondered if he would ever smile again. Walking in the sand helped but he needed more. He needed a friend.

As he struggled with his loneliness he noticed another set of footprints in the sand. He wondered whom they belonged to and if that person was like him, 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.

Those footprints belonged to Becky. When Becky needed to think, 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.

Becky and her husband Jack were deeply in love. They were childhood sweethearts. They had been married for seven years. Life was almost perfect. They both had good paying jobs, nice home, friends and a close family. Becky was especially close to her little sister Angie. Angie is two years younger than Becky. They couldn’t have been closer if they were twins. They liked the same foods, same clothes, liked to do the same things, laughed at the same jokes and when they were younger they even liked the same men.

Life had been wonderful for Becky until she and her husband tried to have children. Becky loved children. So did her husband. When they were going together she and her future husband decided they would have four children. She ached to have a baby, her baby to hold. For five long years they tried to have children but it was not to be. Finally her doctor found out why and the problem was with her. She would never have children and her heart was broken. To make it worse for poor Becky her doctor said that there wasn’t anything wrong with her husband. Her husband though disappointed loved her so much that his only concern was her, how she felt. This made her heart hurt more.

Tonight Angie, her husband and children had dinner with Becky and her husband. For Angie having children was not hard. She was a woman that positively enjoyed being pregnant. She and her husband had five children. 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 burst in to tears because of such love from her sister. What an incredible sacrifice Angie was willing to make for Becky. How could she accept such a gift or gifts? How much her heart ached to hold her baby. How could she not accept it?

As Becky struggled with her decision she noticed another set of footprints 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. When Dan needed to think, 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.