One of questions I was asked at my boards last week was, “What do you do for YOU?”

What they wanted to know was how I cared for myself. As one board member said, “Chaplains last about 2-3 years  in a hospice position. What are you doing for your career’s longevity?”

I answered, “Pedicures!”

The men looked confused. The women on the panel laughed knowingly.

Chaplains are on our feet for several hours a day. Our feet take a lot of abuse. I quickly learned to leave my pride at the door and wear comfortable shoes with good support. I also learned that “preechin’ shoes” are not the same thing as “chaplain shoes.” I can stand for hours in my chaplain shoes. I can only stand for a few hours in preechin’ shoes.

But a pedicure is also a kind of meditation. I can zone out with my feet in a massaging foot bath. With the massage chair humming (key of B-flat) and the jets swirling water around my ankles… Ahhhhhhhh…

Or should I say “Ommmmmm…”