Foot Washing
The daughter never gave much thought to the Gospel story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples outside of Holy Thursday. Now her mom lives with them, and there are things Mom just can’t do for herself anymore, like take care of her feet. When her nails get really long and her calluses have calluses, she needs her daughter’s help.
The first step is soaking Mom’s feet in water – hot, hot water. Because of her 90 years, this step can take up to an hour. Age isn’t kind to nails and skin no matter how sharp the clippers. Once the water has softened the nails, the real work of clipping and trimming begins. Sometimes the TV is on and sometimes they just talk, but always it’s a hard thing because Mom hates losing her independence and she feels badly that this seemingly simple task should have to be done by her daughter.
Mom grew up a farm girl, used to long hours and harsh conditions. She worked hard enough to go through nurses training, trading one demanding job for another. Nurses were supposed to buy new shoes frequently since they were on their feet all day. That was well and good if you could afford it, but sometimes you had to make those shoes last longer than they were meant to last. And of course, you needed at least one good pair of heels for the rare times you had enough energy after your shift to go out on the town, walking everywhere, because who could afford a car on a nurse’s salary?
After marriage, Mom traded in those nursing shoes for something even more durable. It’s hard work running after kids, being there for your husband and keeping the house. You don’t have time to think about your feet, even when they ache. Those years of caring for others day in and day out take a toll. Toes turn in and crowd upon themselves; corns and bunions and arthritis take over and some days Mom is just glad she can stand up and take a step.
And there’s Jesus, bending down to wash the feet of his disciples. He didn’t warn them about his plan so they couldn’t stop by the spa for a quick pedicure first. Nope, Jesus got to see and touch the disciples’ filthy feet at the end of a long, tiring journey. And it wasn’t just a quick pour from a water pitcher and a swipe with a new towel. He was down on his knees using his hands to gently clean and heal the dirtiest part of each one. Then he told them that if he, who was master and Lord, was doing this for them, they needed to do it for others.
So that’s what the daughter thinks about now when taking care of Mom’s feet. She give thanks for the many hours her mom spent taking care of her patients and her children and her husband. She considers how humbling it is for her mom to have her daughter kneeling at her feet – and how humbling it is for her daughter to be there – and the daughter does her best to make it a time of dignity. For the daughter, this is an opportunity to show her amazing mom how much she is appreciated and loved. The daughter tells her mom it isn’t a burden but a privilege to perform this task. Her mom can’t believe that.