Shoes, Girlfriends, and the Month of Denise...

This story goes back a ways, but it has always meant so much to me that I wanted to share it.

First, I musth share with you my dear friend, Denise. I fist met my Denise probably 7 or 8 years ago. And since that time our friendship has grown and deepened tremendously, I consider her among my closest friends.

Denise is an extremely busy woman; she is a wife, and mother of two adult twin girls. She also is involved in care-giving for her elderly mother. Professsionally, she is a gifted freelance writer whose clients include large corporations for whom she writes monthly newsletters. She also has such a heart for giving and is involved in numerous charitable organizations and projects. So es she has a very busy life, never too busy though to be there for her friends.

We all have friends that are there for us through thick and thin. I am sure many of you have those friends that when you were beginning your own business and called on your friends to do parties, or to give you the moral support that they could, there they were for you. Friends like that, step up to the plate to support, and be there for you. And that is what Denise did and continues to do to this day.

Well, back in 2005, while I was still testing the idea of Footprints International and doing my first parties, Denise told me that even though she could not attend all of the parties, she would buy a pair of shoes each time that I held a party. It was her way of supporting me and saying that she believed in my idea and me. I was unbelievably touched by her kind and giving spirit. I told her though-- "What if I do a ton of parties?" She laughed and said she would be there for me. Since that time many of our Representatives joined the company and I let her off the hook for buying shoes. But her support continued. She has helped me in numerous professional writing assignments and has always been there for me. She is a gem.

Denise's birthday is March 31st, and she always celebrates the entire month as "the month of Denise." It is a time when this very busy woman cares for herself a little extra. So this week's blog is dedicated to her, for the wise, compassionate, warm, and caring woman that she is, and to all who are lucky enough to know her.

I hope that all of you reading this are fortunate enough to have your own Denise in your life.

Shoes Gifts- AKA Jacque and the Purple Box

I was recently thinking about all of the wonderful shoe gifts that I have received over the years. There are so many; they fill my office and other parts of my home.  Some come with me in my car, some I carry with me at all times, others I wear.

When I thought of all of the gifts though,  I realized that it was not the magnificence of some of them, but the giver behind them that really held the most significance for me. That brings me to the story of the purple box, and how it really exemplifies for me a large part of what our company is all about.

Now you are asking what does a purple box have to do with shoes??? Well, the purple box that I am alluding to contained a mountain of shoe gifts from one of my long time Representatives, Jacque. She always gives such care, attention, and detail to everything that she does with a party from the display to the delivery of shoes.

Jacque, one year, gave me these amazing gifts of all kinds relating to our business. She put them in the most beautiful purple box, which is one of our two theme colors (the other one is pink). Since that time, I have filled the purple box with special notes that I have received from Representatives, and stories about how they found us and came to be part of FPI. The purple box and its contents are on my list of my most treasured possessions.

The purple box is about more than the gift itself it is a gift of the heart. That is how we all feel about our company. It is more than the shoes (Though they are fabulous!!!). It is about the care that each Representative takes in putting together a stunning display, as I heard Joey did this weekend. Or the care and attention that Jacque takes in decorating delivery bags, or how Andrea, our Graphic Designer, constantly gives of herself. The purple box and all of the other shoe gifts that I have received over the years is about the spirit of giving, and that is really what FPI is all about.

Spring Shoes

I always find spring to be such an exciting time!!! It always signifies to me new beginnings. I remember as a child growing up in Windsor, Ontario Canada that it meant the melting of the snow and new buds on trees. So now even though I have lived in California for many years, I still think of it that same way.

I remember always getting a new Spring coat, and of course lighter colored shoes, and not the boots that had to be worn. Then the shoes taken out of the carrying bag to be transferred into, simply the shoes were worn, GLORIOUS!!!

Which brings me to the BEGINNING of our new spring line, how fabulous to start this new season with pretty shoes that we can wear all the time.

I am including a few of my favorites right here for you to view... A new beginning to see where our shoes will carry us!!!

When Things are Meant to be... Deborah and the Red Shoe

Before I begin this story let me mention a wonderful book that I have read and given copies to multiple people. It is called "When God Winks" by Squire Rushnell; the book discusses how coincidences in your life are like God winking at you. Well, let me share a huge "God wink" with all of you.

I remember the night that I met Deborah, a wonderful Representative for Footprints in the Phoenix area of Arizona. We were introduced by her recruiter Ronda, (an amazing woman in her own right), at a dinner meeting. Deborah was debating joining our company and on a trip to the Phoenix area, I had a chance to meet with her. From almost the very first moment there seemed to be a special connection between the two of us. She knew leaving the restaurant that evening that somehow she was supposed to be a part of Footprints International.

My wonderful friendship with Deborah has grown and deepened over the years that she has been with the company; and I have always continued to feel that odd but very special connection.

Well, last year Deborah as many of us was facing a lot of challenges in her life; having a family and being a dear and supportuve friend to many who needed her. She began wondering if Footprints was still going to continue to be a part of her life.

Friends who know Deborah have given her "red shoe" gifts over the years, and one day Deborah (who has a deep Christian faith), found herself in a store praying powerfully asking God for guidance and a sign. She said, "Lord if you just give me one more red shoe, I will know what I am supposed to do." So she continued to walk through the store, searching for that red shoe, and it did not appear. For weeks Deborah continued to struggle with her decisions while continuing to pray for the sign.

Then she came to Orange, CA (where I live) to visit her mother. Deborah and I have always come to cherish those visits over the years, and really look forward to them. So, yes, at my favorite Starbucks, there we sat catching up. She shared all of her struggling with me, and I didn't know what to say. Many of the women, whom I have met through our wonderful company, have come to mean so much to me, and the thought of losing that part of our relationship upset me, but I knew that Deborah had to make the right choices for herself.

Deborah has just finished sharing the "red shoe" story with me. It was a little chilly in my favorite Starbucks; so she went out to grab a sweater from her car. When she came back in, she set her keys down, and on them was a red shoe keychain. Well I probably turned white at that moment as I was digging in my purse and saying, "Deborah you are not going to believe this!!!" I pulled out the exact same red shoe keychain as she had. I am sure at that moment both of us probably had tears filling our eyes. Deborah knew in that moment that she had gotten her sign that she had asked for and it was from the owner of Footprints International. In addition to that, the gift that I had brought to Deborah that day was her own copy of "When God Winks."

So we both knew in that moment that for whatever reason Deborah was surely made to be a part of this!!!

So my question to you is, has there ever been a time in your life when you were pursuing a dream and something happened that made you know that you were going in the right direction???

Post a comment and let us know!!!