Clean Feet

Before we left for Sri Lanka, I was hoping for (though not expecting, of course) a chance to spend some time lounging on the beach and swimming in the ocean. And, guess what? My hopes were actually realized. We spent two nights at a small hotel in a long line of them along what is thought to be one of the 12 most beautiful beaches in the world. The name of that town is Unawatuna, and, although there is still evidence of the immense damage the 2004 tsunami did to this part of Sri Lanka, I would not argue with the notion that this is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I have never seen water that is such a perfect mixture of greens and blues; I have never swum in anything so incredibly clear – you could see down to forever through that water. And I have never felt such soft sand under my tired, worn feet.

And speaking of those tired, worn feet, I received quite a pleasant surprise on top of this amazing realization of my Sri Lankan hopes. After swimming in that perfect, clear water and letting my feet sink into the soft, wet sand, those feet actually came out clean. I don’t know if this event deserved the excitement and enthusiasm that it received, but I remember looking down at my clean feet and thinking, “Wow! I haven’t seen anything like that in over six months.”

And it’s true. Since the day I moved in to my part of India, my feet have been getting dirtier and dirtier. No amount of soap or scrubbing can get them clean. And, because my feet have also become harder, calloused, and cracked, there are more and more places on them for the dirt to settle. The longer I’ve been here, the less hope I’ve had of ever getting those feet clean again. But the lovely Indian Ocean and its sandy beaches did the job

Unfortunately, the second I arrived back in Colombo from that short stint in heaven, my feet were just as dirty as they’d been a few days before. But at least now I know that the dirt won’t stain.