Never in my life has a pedicure left me to confront what time and age are quietly doing to my body – until today.
Crystal, my pedicure gal, started out with the usual routine – a clip here, a file there, a good leg and foot scrub. And then, the best part – “The Heeler Peeler Pro”. I have no idea of its official name, but this large, metal flat object looks to me like a lemon rind zester. Except instead of zesting citrus, it shaves off layers from my calloused heels, a reminder why going barefoot may mean freedom, but the heels pay the price.
Even though the whole thing borders on the grotesque, I can’t help but get excited when she pulls it out of her drawer! Crystal works her magic, and after a few decisive strokes of the zester, she taps it on the towel to dispose of the evidence, which, quite frankly, leaves me equal parts horrified and deeply satisfied. Not an attractive sight for a person sitting beside me, so I was relieved that the chair beside me was vacant.
But something happened at today’s visit I wasn’t expecting, nor had I ever had happen before. In the blink of an eye, Crystal seized a shaver and gave my big toe knuckle a casual swipe like it was part of her morning routine. I sat frozen, wondering if now pedicures came with hair removal services below the ankle. Crystal went about her business like this was the most natural thing in the world. Not to me! I wondered if, on previous appointments, she had ignored my toe hair out of mercy or was building suspense for her grand toe-topiary reveal.
While I pondered these important mysteries of life, with my freshly polished toes drying under the UV lamp, something extraordinary happened.
On the salon’s TV, a special live coverage report aired. Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected pope, stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Although I haven’t actively practiced Catholicism in nearly 2 decades, I was born and raised in the faith. And yet, watching him stand there, addressing the world, sent chills up and down my body – repeatedly.
I’m sure you’ve heard or read something that touched you to your core, only to feel those chills wash over you. Often, we hear people exclaim, “Oh wow, I just got goosebumps.” Next time you feel those chills, pause for a moment. Take it as a sign that what you witnessed carries more meaning than you may realize. Sometimes, it’s a message, a confirmation, or a quiet whisper from something beyond us, nudging us to pay attention.
By the time I walked out of the salon and got in my car, many thoughts were racing in my mind. There was no outrage over the pope’s election. No rioting. No bitter protests. No social media meltdowns claiming the papal election was stolen. Granted, this just happened. But when in the past was there an uproar over the selection of a new pope? There is only unity, reverence, and celebration.
What if leadership outside of the Vatican worked that way?
Imagine if, instead of divisive campaigns and social media wars, we let the Cardinals select our next president, the same way they pick a pope. At least they care about moral integrity. Instead of choosing candidates based on popularity or political maneuvering, they’d pick someone rooted in humility, service, and moral character – qualities we could use more of in our government.
And here’s another thing – when the pope speaks, the world listens, believing what it hears. Nobody scrambles for a fact-checking website. Nobody rolls their eyes, expecting spin, exaggeration, or flat-out deception. There’s no need to prepare for tomorrow’s correction of today’s awkward half-truths. And, mercifully, nobody is taking Fireball shots every time the words “nobody’s ever seen anything quite like it before,” are uttered while playing a drinking game to make what we hear more tolerable. We just trust what the pope says.
Perhaps it all comes down to faith. The world embraces the election of a pope because, at the end of the day, he’s a man of God. He is chosen through prayer, discernment, and tradition, not by campaigns designed to manipulate public perception. I believe that’s what’s missing in our leadership today – a true moral compass, a foundation in faith, and an unwavering commitment to serve something greater than oneself.
Yet, instead of embracing faith, our society keeps pushing it further away, removing God from classrooms, leadership, and public life as if morality can thrive without Him.
Of course, politics isn’t the papal conclave. We don’t get white smoke, and we certainly don’t get leaders selected based on who best serves the people. Instead, what we are getting feels more like black smoke – cloudy, murky, and suffocating. No clear signal, no unifying moment, just confusion, division, and leadership that leaves us choking instead of inspired.
Grab your favorite cocktail and raise your glass high in a toast: “To the little wins: freshly polished and an embarrassingly shaved toe. To the big wins we’re still waiting on – like leaders that give us goosebumps instead of migraines; leaders we can trust without needing to fact-check and a world where elections inspire cheers instead of social media wars. Congratulations and CHEERS to Pope Leo XIV!”
