Footprints
One night a seagull had a dream. He dreamed he was walking through the parking lot with the Great Bird. Across the sky flashed clouds from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the snow: one belonging to him, and the other to the Great Bird.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the snowy parking lot. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Great Bird about it: “Great Bird, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The Great Bird replied: “My bird, my precious sea gull, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
The seagull thought about that. Then he realized what had really happened. Those times when there were no footprints in the snow — that was when a car drove by. That, and the Great Bird would probably have been flying anyway.
Photo: Taken in the Northgate Mall parking lot in Seattle on 17 January 2012.
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