Although everyone I know loves the luxuries of a manicure/pedicure or facial, I do not. The truth is that I never had a pedicure or facial without the scolding of the professional offering her skills. According to them, I’ve done a terrible job managing my feet and face on my own. They hope they can fix it.

And since we’re on the subject, I’ve rarely seen a dentist or doctor that didn’t shame or scare me into good health.

You see people—I much prefer to be comforted, affirmed, and inspired to do better—not scolded or shamed.

What I am really sharing here is the result of old childhood emotional wounds that pop-up in the oddest places like the local dentistry or nail salon.

With these experiences, there is always regret that edges it’s way in too. I have seen it in my mother and father’s eyes as they have grown old and longed to connect as adults with us kids. The welling up of pain and the irrevocable swift passing of time that pools in their eyes and runs warm down the soft skin of their cheeks.

And I have blinked away my own pained regrets with my daughter. In every generation, there is no new brokenness under the sun or sky or stars at night. We step over or upon the shattered fragments of people’s pain everyday.

But today I gazed into my granddaughter’s eyes and saw the clean slate of fresh hope in a new generation and the healing power of love through the simple wisdom of living long enough to know regret and childhood bruises are swallowed up forever in one big gulp of forgiveness and a thousand tiny kindnesses and kisses everyday ever after.

The ground under my feet swells with purpose as I age, and I run with light feet now loaded with bags and bags of mercy to give as I have been given. Mercy that mends, and mercy that connects and stitches the generations together as a scarlet banner signaling to the world, “First Aid.”

©️Bonnie Saul Wilks