Heather Duckworth of Tampa, Florida, came home one day to find her porch covered in shoes. She took a single picture of the scene, shared it on her popular Facebook blog, Love, Faith & Chaos, and started tugging at the heartstrings of parents everywhere.
Titled "THE 18th SUMMER," Heather's post details her feelings about the last summer she'll spend with her eldest sons before they head off to college.
"I love having these shoes all over my porch because it means that my children are home. It means that I know where they are and who they are with and that they are all safe," she wrote. "I am very aware that these shoes won’t be here much longer…. And I know that all of these shoes might not find their way back home next summer as life takes them on new adventures."
Heather's post has resonated with tens of thousands of people, racking up more than 89,000 shares, 15,000 comments, and 97,000 likes since it went live on June 20. Keep scrolling to read it in full — just make sure you have some tissues handy.
"I came home the other day after a long afternoon of running errands and this is what my front porch looked like," Heather began. "These shoes mean that I have a house full of kids… mostly teenagers. These shoes are a sure sign that it is summer and school is out…. These shoes mean that we are the designated hang-out house today."
Heather said she felt a "wave of sadness wash over me" as she gazed upon the pile of shoes.
"I love all of these kids who leave their shoes all over my porch," she explained. "Most of them just graduated from high school which means these shoes will be going in different directions this fall when they head off to college."
Here's where things get pretty emotional. (You've been warned.)
Heather recognizes the positives in her kids' upcoming departures, "but my heart… it just hurts," she admitted.
"I love having these shoes all over my porch because it means that my children are home," Heather continued. "It means that I know where they are and who they are with and that they are all safe."
But she realizes that will change in just a few short months. When her kids go off to college, she won't know where their shoes are.
Heather goes on to confess, "These thoughts hang over my head like a dark cloud… trying to steal the joy from the present moments."
At this point, all Heather can do is try her hardest to live in the present.
Heather concluded her post with the Bible verse Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
The response to Heather's post has been pretty overwhelming, with many parents sharing their own photos of piles of shoes in its comments section.
"I know the feeling," one mom wrote, "my kids and all their friends are home from college and are always here, warms my heart still."
(If you haven't begun crying yet, this comment from a woman who lost her son in a car crash will fix that.)
On Wednesday, Heather shared a follow-up post that addressed the popularity of her original remarks.
"It is a little overwhelming and scary, but also exciting and heartwarming to know that my story has resonated with so many others who feel the same way," she said.
"The best part of my story? The comments!" she said. "It has been hard to keep up with all of them, but the ones that I have read have been so encouraging and supportive. I have loved the stories and pictures that you have shared of shoes on your porches and appreciated every virtual hug.
"This stage of life is bittersweet for sure… so happy for our children and so proud of them, yet so sad for us when they spread those wings and leave the nest," she added.
Heather went on to reveal the fate of her kids' shoes, some of which are already gone.
Heather concluded her post with an important message for parents going through a similar experience: "Hang in there, friends. I am right there with you!'
How beautiful is that?
