These Shoes

These shoes belong to a chaplain. These shoes are "hospital shoes", which is a nice way of saying they barely make it inside the front door of my home. Because I have no desire to bring MRSA, CDiff, VRE or anything else home to my family. 

These shoes are hardworking shoes. They walk endless miles of hallways, at least 5-6 miles a day. 

These shoes are covered in blue surgical booties in bloody traumas or operating rooms at the time of organ donation. 

These shoes stand alongside deathbeds and extubation procedures and trauma bays. 

These shoes are stared at during family consults and death notifications and on silent elevator rides with families who leave their beloveds in a sterile morgue.

These shoes see so much.